Chapter Five - Thought We Left the Rednecks Back in Texas

While we had been cleaning up the property the last two months, we met a few people - some lived here, some were sightseers. Apparently a LOT of people regularly came up here to look at the view, hunt and like I mentioned, have target practice. We thought this place was so beautiful that we wanted to share it with others. We decided to put a "Welcome All" sign up at the gate we were going to build so everyone could enjoy the gorgeous view. A regular open door policy. Come one, come all! Y'all are welcome!

We met a lot of nice people who came up on four wheelers and in cars and trucks, most of whom were surprised that we were the new owners, that people were going to actually live here. Some looked downright dismayed. "But we've always come up here!" or "We've been hunting here for years." They looked confused. Some of them pouted. Some seemed resentful even. Huh. This was unexpected. We told people they were welcome to come up and say hi and visit when they wanted to and some were glad, but some just left muttering as if they'd been told their business was no longer welcome here because they just weren't up to par. Or something. It was weird. We took away their favorite hunting and viewing and playing spot and they weren't happy about it. At all.

On the way up the ten miles to our place, there was a great-looking log cabin sitting nestled in the woods.  One day there was a man standing outside working on his truck. Butch pulls right up into his yard and parks. Which scared me. This was the mountains. Where scary mountain people live. Who chew tobacco and have long beards and look like Charles Manson. And sometimes kill a whole bunch of people. And they are always carrying guns. ALWAYS. I looked at Butch in great alarm and hissed, "WHAT are you DOING? That man is going to shoot us first and ask questions later. Please let's go." Butch just said, "Haw. You're funny." And got out of the car.

The man, who looked exactly like what I thought a true mountain man would look like, looked up from his truck but didn't even stand up or walk over or smile. He just did this steady gaze thing at Butch. Oh man, we are going to die here. This guy had a long grayish beard and he was big. He was wearing jeans and an old short-sleeved T-shirt (wasn't he cold? It was like 40 degrees outside!) and suspenders. I watched as Butch started to walk over and thought, "Hey maybe he won't shoot Butch if his little wife is right beside him.", so I bravely (uncharacteristly I might add) jumped out of the car and walked over to Butch who kept walking up to this scary mountain man.

Butch told him who we were and what land we just bought. To which this big guy says, still leaning over his truck, "Oh you're the ones who bought that piece of s--t land up there?" Ok, I've had enough. I'm ready to go and I start to pull on Butch's sleeve like a little kid. He ignored me and smiled real big and stuck out his hand in friendly Texas fashion. The man said his name was Tim (Tim? Really? Such a small guy name.) and that his wife was named Sue and they had been here for 13 years already, mostly all by themselves on this whole mountain that whole time. I didn't talk, kind of hid behind Butch I am ashamed to say. The more they talked though, the nicer and more normal this guy seemed. I sidled out from behind Butch an inch at a time and then Tim smiled at me and the name Mountain Father Christmas immediately sprang to mind with his red cheeks and sweet smile and crinkly eyes. Oh. This guy is just a big teddy bear. PHEW. We weren't going to die up here, not today anyway.

We met Sue his wife later when they came up to visit on their four wheeler. It was not a good day for us to meet anyone new.  It was in fact a very bad, horrible, no good, awful, terrible day. Remember I mentioned how Butch put that old miner's cabin back together all by himself? And how hard it was and how much work it took? Well, during the week when we had been back at our house in Lolo, some guys in two trucks had come up here and TRIED TO KNOCK THE CABIN OVER WITH THEIR MONSTER TRUCKS. It was all askew. The door wouldn't even close anymore. WHO DOES THINGS LIKE THAT? And WHY? We had already brought some things up to the property like tools and some wood - which they had stolen, along with our "Welcome All" sign. Humph. We were in shock. ALL the people we had met in Montana had been SO nice! After we got over the shock of this set back, I looked at Butch and said, "I really thought we had left all the rednecks back in Texas. I guess not." Butch said, "No they're everywhere. No big deal. At least they didn't mess with the tractor. Thank God." Ok his atttude was better than mine but I was so dismayed and sad and angry. This dream had been so nice and now I had to worry about bad people coming up here and doing stuff like this? Kind of put a bit of a damper on our excitement.

While we were sitting in what would be the front yard, trying to compose ourselves, and be all stoic and strong and tough, here come Tim and Sue on their four-wheeler. Needless to say I was NOT in the mood for guests. Let's just say that I didn't handle things like this very well back then. I let it ruin my whole day, probably my whole week. I was just so disappointed. And frightened.

We told Tim and Sue what happened and then Tim told us he saw those trucks speed by his place and he knew exactly who they were, which was encouraging news. At least we could go after them legally. And then, I will never forget this, Tim told us that sometimes up here you have to take care of things like that yourself, and THEN he said, serious as a heart attack,"You guys have some really deep mines up here." Total silence. I laughed at the joke but Tim and Sue didn't. I looked over at Butch like, Um, they're joking, right? "Well, um, heh heh. Well. ANYhoo......"  (what have we gotten ourselves into?)

That truly was a good day although I didn't know it at the time. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship with those two. They became indispensible to us with all their advice and help. And they were so generous. Though we always kept what he said in mind and tried to never get on their bad side. Yikes.

Even though we tried and tried and tried to get those guys prosecuted - one even left his muffler behind when it fell off as he hit our new gate - so we had proof - we never were able to get any justice. Apparently these guys' dad had friends in the police department and no one would help us. We realized then that Tim was right and that we were on our own up here and had to take care of things ourselves. As frustrating as that was, I am glad to report that we found a lot of the stuff they stole. They must have panicked after they left and threw it all down a mountainside which we found later. And even better news, they never came back. I think someone got a message to them and it worked. I was thankful nothing like that ever happened again. It was a one time deal (so far anyway). Oh and Butch got the cabin all put back together and standing upright again. No sweat.

You know how people who are newly married or who are starting a new enterprise always seem to have to go through a difficult time right away? That seemed to be our test. We got through it, Butch's colors were more flying than mine, but we survived. No harm done. We learned a few good lessons. We decided not to replace the "Welcome All" sign. There were bad people everywhere and we needed to be a little careful, especially way up here in the remote mountains where the POlice even needed help finding us. But it all worked out. The best thing that happened is that we learned to say, "It could have been worse." Because it always can be.