Moving can be hard
Moving is different when the house is an old fashioned log
cabin 6,700 feet above sea level in Montana.
The drive way to the home is dirt, and steep. Moving companies are not interested, and so
homeowners are on their own. That is OK,
people who live in isolated log cabins are used to doing things on their own.
My parents’ log cabin often shelters bats as they migrate
through the area. A few bats move in
every summer and only leave as the weather cools off. Bats are tiny, and they can crawl in through
cracks in the logs and gaps in the chinking.
Whoever sleeps upstairs sleeps under a mosquito net for peace of mind.
Mom has several beautiful pieces of pottery. She picked one Navaho pot off of a shelf and
took it to the sink to wash. Peeking
into the vase she thought she could see some trash or an old dark sock, so she
turned it over the trashcan. Four dead
bats fell out. Another day mom pulled a
wood plaque off of the wall, and a skeleton of a bat fell to the floor.
When the day came to pick up the moving van we had to drive
almost 2 hours to the town of Ennis. The
drive was beautiful, winding past ranches, lakes and tall mountains. Rain fell, the clouds moved among the
trees. The road curved and climbed up
mountain passes. We collected the van
and ate supper before driving back another 2 hours to the cabin. The van climbed the dirt road without any
trouble.
The next morning we loaded the moving truck in a light
rain. Along with the usual boxes of
dishes, books and small furniture we included climbing supplies, an ice ax and
mountain bikes. Once the van was loaded
dad drove it down into the valley and parked at a friends’ house. Even though the date was mid September snow
was in the forecast. Early the next
morning we woke to a white snow covered world.
Clumps of snow rested on the fir branches, and covered the yard. Mom had to shovel snow off the porch and
steps so we could load the pick up truck with paintings, fragile items and our
suitcases. Once the snow stopped falling
the sun came out, and reflected brightly.
On day 2 of our drive home we chose an often used shortcut
across the Eastern part of Montana.
Although a 2 lane road, many trucks follow this route as well. The drive passes through cattle farms and
empty wide landscapes. We watched groups
of pronghorn antelope standing in the fields and cows grazing on the wrong side
of the fence, unconcerned about the traffic.
Then, we came to road construction. Instead of one side of the road being worked
on, the road was simply gone. On both
sides, all cars and trucks drove on rutted dirt pathways. We slowed to a crawl and bounced and banged
and jostled our way across rocks, dirt piles and dried up mud holes. All I could think about was the boxes packed
in the moving van. Did I wrap the
drinking glasses well enough? Are the
boxes stacked decently and tied off carefully?
The dirt road continued, with long lines of transfer trucks crowding
each other and the cars nearly off the sides.
After 10 – 12 miles we finally drove back onto blacktop.
On day 4 the moving van broke down just as we pulled onto a
highway filled with morning commuters and long distance truck drivers. The drive train fell off, bouncing on the
concrete and sending sparks into the air.
A tow truck was called and once again our packing skill was tested as
the van was hooked up to the tow truck and lifted onto two wheels. A new moving van was backed up to the old
one, and all our items were moved and repacked.
All the boxes and items seemed to be in good shape.
On day 6 we pulled into the NC house and backed the U Haul
to the front door. The first U Haul had
been loaded in rain and snow. Now we
unloaded on a hot southern afternoon.
When we packed in Montana we saw foxes, mice and dead bats. Unloading we worked near soybean fields, feeling
hot and sticky in the humidity.
I have moved many times but this trip with my parents was
the most interesting. As they unpack the
boxes and settle into their new home, I wonder if they will find any bat
stowaways. Perhaps mom is already
anticipating the new life without so much wildlife. She bought a figurine of a bat, and has it
hanging in her breezeway.
