HOMESTEAD OR BUST!!!

This past weekend we went camping at the homestead. My great 

grandpa (Curtis Nelson) homesteaded this land back in the 

early 1900's. Luckily it has stayed in the family and we still

 are able to enjoy this beautiful place.

This is a view from the homestead looking down into the Lynn valley.

I love this place. This valley is where my grandparents spent a lot 

of years ranching, where my mom rode her horse to school, 

and where I spent a lot of summers. This is where I learned how 

to move sprinkler pipe, ride a horse, drive a tractor, fix fence,

 build forts by the creek, and drive a stick shift truck. I have so many

 wonderful memories and I hope that my kids (the 5th generation)

 will be able to spend time here growing up 

and love it as much as I do!

Reese trying to stay warm. It felt like it was October.

Derik and Mark shooting the breeze before breakfast.

So, friday afternoon we arrived and set up camp. This was supposed 

to be a Nelson reunion with my mom's sister and brother's families. 

Well, the forecast for the weekend wasn't the greatest so they decided

 to call it off. As you can see some of us still wanted to go rainy 

weather and all. It started raining saturday morning. By the late

 afternoon it let up and we were hoping that it

wouldn't rain again. Some of the party left early and ended up

 getting stuck on their way out and so the men had

 to go rescue them. At that point we started to worry if we would

 be able to drive the trucks out the next day. The worrying didn't help because

 it started raining again. It rained and rained. Finally it let up long

 enough for the rainbow to come out. Yes, it was a sign of hope.

Sunday morning was nice and we went for a ride to see the ponds

 just up from the homestead. We strapped Reese in the back the

 Rhino in her car seat. She ended up falling asleep. 

Isn't she just so dang cute?

This is the tree that stumped us. We took an old road that was obvious

 hadn't been used in a while. We had to clear some fallen trees that 

were in the road. Each time we would get one cleared the next one would be

 even bigger. This tree was so heavy we couldn't even make

 it budge. So, Brandon had to go back to camp to get the chain

 saw to take care of the problem.

Reese can't wait until she is big enough to drive the Rhino!!!

After a relaxing morning we decided we better take down camp and get

off the mountain before it started raining again or we might

not make it out. Camp was pretty much cleaned up and we decided

to have our lunch before we left so we put the steaks on the

grill and what do you know it starts to sprinkle. At that point

we decided that we better go steaks done or not. We hurried and

loaded everything else up and were out of there. The drive

down the mountain was STRESSFUL. The roads were muddy and we

were pulling a trailer. Luckily, we made it down safe. Right after

we got through the last gate it started to hail and rain so hard.

It was such an adventure. One that I will never forget.

Good times.