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Drywall is finally moving along 🤞

It’s official. Today we became the last “full-timer” at the RV park. And we still have 2 weeks left in our stay. It’s bittersweet. We’re both sad and happy about it.

The sad, is that we’ve met dozens of wonderful people, both short term and long term travelers. Most of which we’ll never see again. But our short time together, in this wonderful mountain town, will never be forgotten. But some of those folks are locals here and we take solace, knowing that we’ll be back in a few months, and get to see them again. There are also a few who spend winters down in So Cal and AZ, so we’ve promised each other to find time for dinner and drinks, in the coming months.

What makes our souls happy, is this town and our decision to build near here. It’s such a life changing experience, to uproot yourself. It takes a serious leap of faith, but given enough confidence in yourself, it always works out. There’s a life lesson in that, somewhere.

I wish I could better describe the views we stare at everyday, the wildlife we encounter and the people we’ve met. I guess that, not being able to describe it, should tell you how deeply we love it.

I’m going to close this now with a mental picture for you. The last RV Park bonfire is tonight. There are only 12 camper left here and we only expect a handful of faithfuls to show up. It’s gonna get down in the 20’s tonight. It’s crystal clear. The sky is only lit with stars and all is right in world, for this brief moment.

Love to all. I will write again soon.

Talk about a nice Sunday. It feels like a second Father’s Day (almost). Let me lay it out for you:

• Wake up late, sans interruption
• Hot coffee, farm fresh rainbow eggs and a bloody mary
• The Open on TV, (first)
• Le Tour de France, (on deck)
• Padres double header, (in the hole)
• Bison Bolognese with our garden tomatoes and herbs, stewing ALL DAY
• And I might just finish it off with a little afternoon golf & cigar and some fine whiskey

All of this, from the comfort of an RV. Whoda thunk it?

The build is coming along nicely. The trusses are about 90% hung and the barn is really starting to take shape. Laura I made a visit yesterday and while we super happy to see all the progress, we just can’t get over the “perceived” size of the upstairs. On paper, it’s about 1450’sq/ft. Which is a really nice size, for just two people. Two bedrooms with walk-in closets, one full bath upstairs, storage closet, kitchen/dining/fam room (open concept layout). You know, just cozy and comfy. But in reality, it feels like 450′ sq/ft. Seriously. I know we have to trust the process, but man, it feels like the patio in my back yard.

Sending our love, to anyone reading this. We hope your Sunday is just as pleasant. I’ll try to write-up another update this week. Work is starting to ease-up, so I might have a little “me-time” this week to explore my thoughts a bit more. Au revoir.

Good mental health really is a thing. And it’s tough. I’m not saying it’s “Here’s Johnny” time, but it is something that needs to be actively worked on. We’re three weeks into this tiny-house living situation, and I catch myself getting short with Laura, the dogs, my employees and my customers. Now granted, sometimes the people who represent the customers, are not too bright. (Well maybe, most of the time.) But keeping your cool, staying centered and remembering to just breathe, takes a lot of practice. A LOT!

Everyday we’re bombarded with agro situations. Learning to compartmentalize those issues is an art. I’m still a fireman when it comes to reactions. I see an issue, I want to address it, immediately. It’s just my nature. But in doing so, I typically step on toes… Who am I kidding, I bulldoze because it gets the job done. But I recognize it and I (try to) work to be better at not doing it.

An old trick I picked-up years ago, was to write that damning email, then sleep on it. It allows you to vent your frustrations, get things off your chest, call people names and remind them of how stupid their thoughts and actions are. Then the next morning, you’ll wake up with a clear head and and even temperament. Most of the time, I’ll radically amend that email or maybe not send it at all. And on some rare occasions, I might even pick up the phone and make a call 🙀. Yeah, you know me. I’m not much of a phone caller.

But in the end, do yourself a favor and just breathe. Take a walk. Step away from the computer, your spouse, YOURSELF. Just do something other than what you need to be doing. Clear the head and you’ll be a better person for it.

Oh, about the house. Yes, it’s progressing 😂. Actually, we got some good news this week. The floor joists were delivered and the truss package should arrive by the 27th. Which means we’ll really start to see some progress. We’ve pretty much sourced, bought and subcontracted all of the items we’ve committed to. The rest is up to the GC. There are a few lead time issues, but in the end, they’re out of our control. So I’ll just take my own advice and let it go.

We spent last weekend in Driggs, ID with Len, Brenda and the kids. It was great to see them and we really had a nice weekend. We needed it. Not that the RV life isn’t beautiful, but a little change in scenery and someone different to talk to, is always a nice thing. They bought a beautiful little (3,400’sf) vacation home and we’re hoping they don’t mind more visits from us.

Off for my walk now. Peace ✌️

(yes, she is eating ice cream for dinner)

Know where your beef comes from and how it’s managed? Most people don’t. In fact, I’d venture to guess that most people don’t want to know. Well, you can either keep reading, watch the videos below, or both. Today was eye opening, exciting and downright cool. Good times, with good folks.

Our neighbors here in the RV park, are actually multi-generational residents of the area. Relatives within the Pape Family. They’re staying here while their new house is being remodeled and are educating us on the region, the people and the lifestyle. It’s downright Cowboy. This isn’t a town where you come for the fly fishing or snowboarding or rock climbing. But it is a place you go through, to get to those places. And as such, it hasn’t lost it’s origins. The towns of Pindale, Cora and Daniel are ranching towns. And proud of it.

Today we were invited to help the community branding party at the Pape Ranch, just a bit outside of town. Every Spring, they round up all the calfs to be branded, before turning them out in the mountains to graze until fall. There must have been about 1000 calfs, plus all the momma’s, herded into 4 different corrals. Every calf gets a brands, inoculation, an antibiotic and de-horned (if needed). With so many heads, the most effective way to do it, is throw a party. Ropers, Wranglers, Rustlers, Branders, Doctors and yes, Tourists (from California), all coming together to get the job done. And believe it or not, the whole herd was done before noon. The efficiency and speed with which they do this, was impressive. But what’s even more impressive, is that once you see the process, it’s super easy to repeat. Not saying the task is easy to perform, just easy not to forget.

Laura gave it a shot, twice. She’s a bad ass. I just wish the kids could have seen her doing this, when they where little. They’da thought twice about talking back to mom, if they knew she could throw-down, Cowgirl style.

After all the calfs were done and turned loose, everyone headed back to the Ranch House for a BBQ lunch. Our contribution, Laura’s grit and her favorite pasta salad. My contribution, staying out of the Cowboys way. The last thing they needed, was help from some “dude” from San Diego.

So we settled down with some kick-ass home cooking and a meet-n-greet with a couple dozen of our neighbors. Salt of the earth. All of them. And tough as nails too. These boys grow big out here and the more teeth they’re missing, the less you want to mess with them. I’m not saying they’re red-neck. I’m saying they fight with animals 10X bigger than themselves. So, careful what you do and say.

Well it’s Memorial Weekend and we’ve got a lot more to see and do. Please don’t forget to spend a moment, reflecting on our lost brothers and sisters, who helped to guarantee our freedoms and preserve the American Spirit. Cheers to them all 🍻.

Videos found here:

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After all of the planning, designing, decisions, changes, rinse and repeat…. we have finally gone vertical. Yup, the first wall is up and away we go.

Weather permitting, things should really start to go fast now. There are still a lot of action items that we need to take care of, but they need to happen fast. Exterior colors for the barn, roof, windows and doors need to be picked. Flooring selected and purchased. I’m personally in-charge of hiring the electrician, plumber and HVAC (duh 🤪). Which worries me a little. We’d like to participate, physically in the process, to some extent. But my lack of tools and time could make this more difficult than I anticipated. We’ll see how it pans out.

The weather here is predictably NUTS. Every morning we wake up and it’s just perfect. By 12:30pm the winds pick up and by 1:30pm, we get a little mountain spritz. The Wind River Range is about 30 miles to our North and everything around us is just high-plains. The winds are wicked strong and come at you from all directions. I fully expect some (or all) of the slide-out covers on the RV, to tear off. Even as I write this, the winds are gusting over 60mph.

Did I mention I’m right across the street from the golf course 😁. I got out the other day and got about 14 holes in, before 1:30pm. Then right out of nowhere, this squall hit and all you could do was find a tree to hide behind and hunker down. There were literally two people on the entire course (myself included). The other guy ran off and I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to wait it out. I don’t think the heavy stuffs gonna come down for quite a while. About 15 minutes later I got to finish the hole I was on and proceeded to the next tee box, where my drive would be going with the wind. Yes. Yes I did just rip a 300 yard drive, right down the middle(ish). Well after that hole, the heavy stuff did come down and that was the end of that.

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve got my first cold one sitting next to me. Like a puppy, longing to be played with, this beer ain’t gonna drink itself. Here’s a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. See ya next time.

Made it to Pinedale. Great road trip. From a strictly safe and efficient perspective. That’s how I judge road trips now. If we made it safe, with no mechanical issues, then that’s a win. LOL, 30 yrs ago the metrics were a little different. If we arrived AND we didn’t kill anybody in the process, that was a win. 🤦🏻‍♂️

There was a tiny bit of drama however. I realized, about 4 hrs into the drive on Saturday, that I had “lost” my wallet. We found it eventually. Well actually, Rudy found it behind some pillows, back in the house. No big, Brad & Cece dropped it in the FedEx today. So until it arrives, Laura’s paying for everything 🤣.

The campground here is brand new and it’s super clean and well laid-out. In a few years when the saplings mature, it will really be gorgeous. Did I mention it’s across the street from the golf course? Well, it’s so close, I already found a brand new Top Flight ball on the grass near the front door. Winning!

It’s rainy thundery funkiness outside tonight. We’re kinda diggin it.

Anyway, I’m gonna grab another cocktail and turn up the Yacht Rock Radio. Til then…

Just a quick little update here. Our Builder (Reggie) sent us a couple pictures. They have mobilized on the site and the first lumber delivery has been dropped off. Shit just got real.

Not sure if you heard, but Reggie is our 3rd attempt at finding a builder. The region (mostly Teton County) is packed with new home building. There is literally a 2-year wait list to get you house built. Our good fortune came when Reggie bought the lot next to us. He’s also building a primary residence (eventually), but starting with his Barndominium this summer as well. So we’re both sharing lumber orders and labor teams. In the end we might save a nickel or two, but more importantly, it’s getting done.

On another note, we started to load-in the RV yesterday. Our plan is to live in Pinedale, WY until the Barndo is ready. Pinedale is about 35 minutes South of our place, with a brand new RV park and a beautiful golf course. Just like always, we’ll live and work out of the RV, while helping with the build. You have no idea how much stuff we’ve been collecting, that we need to take with us. TV’s, bedroom furniture, chairs, tables, etc. The San Diego house has been packed with furnishings for over a year now, just waiting to be taken to Wyoming. But all that nonsense will be saved for another post…

Well that was a long 2 1/2 year break. Went kinda fast though, right? Nothing important happened in the world while I was gone did it? Everyone OK? Healthy? Still reading these? 😂

Not to dwell too much on the past year 🦠, but I gotta bring you up to speed on the whole “Hey, let’s move to Wyoming” thing, I touched on in my last post. The bottom line… we’re closer now, than we were then (spoiler alert!).

As you can probably see here, I’ve linked a new Instagram Page to this site. One dedicated strictly to the building of the new WY property. It’s call BondoBarnBuild and basically means we’re building a Barndominium in Bondurant. What is a Barndominium you ask? You’ll just have to keep reading to find out.

We’ve made quite a bit of progress recently, so expect lost of new pictures and a continuous stream of updates and stories. In the interest of keeping the reader (lol, as-if) engaged, I’ll “try” to keep my posts to quick-reads. I feel like less is more. Until I add more, while keeping them less.

Ready to get on with the show? Yeah, me too.

Y’all come back now.