Keys to the kingdom

Yesterday we signed the closing papers on the new place at Selle. We also received a set of house keys and a beautiful ceramic tile sign "The Loves" from the realtor, Mark Hall. So, when we left his office, we were smiling about his thoughtfulness and feeling good that, after four days, we once again are landowners in Bonner County.

Living in a motor home Sunday night seemed fitting since we were Loves without a home for that brief period of time. Now, we're renters here on Great Northern Road, and we're renters with a big job ahead with this in-town kingdom-----cleaning, sorting, packing, hauling and keeping up with the normal day-to-day operations associated with a large lawn and a smaller-than-usual garden.

I've planted five rows of veggies which should be harvestable within the next few weeks. That includes several kinds of lettuce, radishes, spinach and green beans. I'm also confident we'll be able to enjoy one more crop of our tiny cherries and some good pickings of raspberries before we leave. We're in the midst of enjoying our annual rhubarb crop.

I'm hoping to take several raspberry bushes with us since there are none on the new place. And, of course, after all these years of having homegrown apples that could be all tallied with my ten fingers, the trees are loaded now that we're leaving. We will, however, be enjoying apples, cherries, and blueberries when we move.

Yesterday, I worked in the barn. A green metal barrel has sat at a slight angle along the alley way for 30 years. It's also functioned as a catch-all. I spent about an hour digging through twine, old grain sacks and even broken down pots and pans from the kitchen, which later functioned as dog or cat dishes for the various felines and canines who've occupied the barn over the years.

By the time I was satisfied that all remaining inside that barrel was junk, half the alley was covered with an assortment of brushes, rubber curry combs, metal curry combs, hay bags, veterinary stuff and lots of rusty horse shoes---many with nails pounded into Tiny, Sassy, Rambo and Casey's hooves by Lloyd Bennett, Tom Selberg or John Fuller.

Just inside the barn door is a brush box on the wall. We always knew it was a brush box because my dad scrawled out its use "combs and brushes" nearly 60 years ago. His distinctive printing still appears on the front of the box. Like the green barrel, this wall box also contained a variety of horse wormer syringes. I also found several nails, a small kitchen fork and one very special treasure.

One of Willie's baby spoons sat deep inside the box. I have no idea why it made its way to the barn, but it was there, still shiny, once the film of grit was removed. I'll be giving the spoon to Willie because it's among the very few things remaining from his baby days. Everything else burned in our 1984 house fire.

After working last evening, Bill and I have the lower barn nearly clean. We also have a pickup load of stuff from both the barn and machine shed to take to the Colburn transfer station today. I think there might even be some good stuff for the freebie mall out there.

There's still plenty to do in the barn with the hay mow up above----lots of twine, pigeon feathers and dung, old hay, etc. When we leave this place, we'll be leaving that magnificent red monument to the old farming lifestyle that lured us here in the first place 30 years ago. It's not going to be easy to say good bye to the barn. After all, it has watched over us all these decades while serving as a proud beacon of this place we've called home.

But, we've got a new kingdom to explore and nurture out there in the country, and we realize there must be be trade-offs in matters such as this. We'll have more land to wander and those spectacular Selkirk and Cabinet mountains to admire, but we'll always appreciate the charmed life that this little piece of God's wonderful kingdom has provided for us and our family.