Montana

[Bantambird]

Last year the coldest month was February, with two weeks of -30 here. Usually that happens in January, but we enjoyed a nice Chinook during January last year as well as this year, so I'm wondering if the bad stuff is going to hit us now.

 

[Bantambird]

My poor MIL was visiting exactly when the weather was coldest. She's from warmer parts. She decided not to move to Montana, lol. "That sort of cold creeps into your bones and you can't warm up! How do people stand living in such cold? You are so brave having outside work all year round!"
Lol.
But she's actually pretty sweet, just from warmer climate.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

Ha! Obviously you need More chickens

thankfully my daughter and I keep the yard mowed very short. And my husband has a fire truck available to us, plus our water delivery people brought their huge truck up and soaked down what they could. The volunteer firefighters did their best. The only thing we really lost was pasture. if not for all those things we would have lost the house. It was something else loading up 12 chickens 10 cats/kittens 2 dogs... and letting the 13 yr old drive the pick up while I walked/jogged my horse away from the fire. I noticed a Huge increase in insects and snakes and mice looking for food near the house where it didn’t burn as bad. I lost the last of my garden to a literal Army of ants, I should have let the chickens at them!! I always forget they don’t Just eat grains lol Really really hoping we get a nice wet spring after the farmers get their seeds in the ground. The vast majority of land immediate to ours is wheat crops so I’m really hoping they put in spring wheat and don’t leave this burnt field til fall planting.

That is downright scary to be so close to the fires. We are on cistern as well. I’m glad the water delivery people sprayed your yard.
I did research into how deep we’d have to drill a well to get decent water, and apparently it’s over 1100 feet! So that is NOT a viable option for us at this time. I don’t have $60k laying around to throw into a well that potentially may be dry.

We had our first forest fire of the year, about 20 minutes down the highway. With the wind what it was, they were on top of it right away and as far as I know they got it out. We didn't get wind too bad-- our worst gusts were only about 40 mph, and my chickens were out ranging through all of it. It did manage to pick up and smash the little pre-fab coop I use for integrating babies into the flock, so I have to figure something else out by hatch time this spring. I also got lazy about closing my coop up tight at night and lost 4 of my 7 hens. I feel pretty rotten about that, because it was 100% my fault.

I am sorry to hear you lost your girls. Were you by the 191 closure in Harlowton? I got a breaking news alert on my phone this Saturday saying “road closure due to fire.” And I was shocked we were already having fires. This doesn’t bode well for our actual upcoming fire season.

It's been pretty mild this winter, barring that wierd stint in October that killed my hopes of extended apple processing. Near Livingston is considered one of the windiest places in America! Seen trucks blown right off the interstate and during windstorms traffic gets diverted for that reason. I'm lucky to have a few trees and the hay barn to the west blocking the worst of the wind, and I'm halfway down a hill so it's not so bad as all that, but the wind comes sweeping in from the river.
Near Billings we get the Chinook winds so it's easy livin' compared to pretty much anywhere else in Montana, besides Flathead valley, where it just stays dark, moist, and cool all year round....

October made me think we were going to have another bad winter, so I put my snow tires on right away, and I haven’t really needed them other than today and yesterday.
I drive to Bozeman from Billings often for work, and have had to cut through Livingston a couple of times on those really windy days. The scariest time for me though was the first winter after I moved to Billings from sunny Southern California. I was driving in the dark back to the office from Bozeman when is started snowing and blowing, somewhere between Big Timber and Reedpoint, and all these truckers were speeding past me in the passing lane while I’m white-knuckling it in the driving lane. Every time a semi-truck sped by they kicked up snow and I experienced my first white-outs. I was shrieking to my colleague sitting in the passenger seat “Why is this happening? What is going on? Why did I move to Montana?”

 

[Bantambird]

That is downright scary to be so close to the fires. We are on cistern as well. I’m glad the water delivery people sprayed your yard.
I did research into how deep we’d have to drill a well to get decent water, and apparently it’s over 1100 feet! So that is NOT a viable option for us at this time. I don’t have $60k laying around to throw into a well that potentially may be dry.


I am sorry to hear you lost your girls. Were you by the 191 closure in Harlowton? I got a breaking news alert on my phone this Saturday saying “road closure due to fire.” And I was shocked we were already having fires. This doesn’t bode well for our actual upcoming fire season.


October made me think we were going to have another bad winter, so I put my snow tires on right away, and I haven’t really needed them other than today and yesterday.
I drive to Bozeman from Billings often for work, and have had to cut through Livingston a couple of times on those really windy days. The scariest time for me though was the first winter after I moved to Billings from sunny Southern California. I was driving in the dark back to the office from Bozeman when is started snowing and blowing, somewhere between Big Timber and Reedpoint, and all these truckers were speeding past me in the passing lane while I’m white-knuckling it in the driving lane. Every time a semi-truck sped by they kicked up snow and I experienced my first white-outs. I was shrieking to my colleague sitting in the passenger seat “Why is this happening? What is going on? Why did I move to Montana?”

My husband is from California. My family has been here 6 generations so it was definitely a huge change for him, too. His first winter he forgot his coat and locked himself out. He thought he would be fine just waiting for me to get home from work.

Spoiler: he wasn't.
Silly man!

 

[ThunderHillChick]

How is it that every one seems to be from California?? (Except me) When we were dating my husband would call me and tell me Not to drive down 8h because the road conditions were “terrible” Granted once they actually were, but near Edmonton the winter driving conditions are often Incredibly Horrendous. I just haven’t seen it here yet. That wind though, I can just imagine the whiteouts I’ll be seeing in future winters.. which is part of why I want a millions chickens so I don’t have to get a “real” job

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

My husband is from Billings and I convinced him we should leave California because otherwise we’d never be able to afford a home and start a family.
Now in only five years we’ve accomplished what we have wanted to, and then some! California is too cost prohibitive. It’s the nature of the beast when everyone wants to live there. I still go back to visit friends and family, but unless we become millionaires, we are not moving back.

 

[Bantambird]

My husband had already fled California when I met him. He just needed a nudge to come further north.... And inland...
So now we live near Billings.

 

[CityslickerHomestead]

My husband had already fled California when I met him. He just needed a nudge to come further north.... And inland...
So now we live near Billings.

Nice! I like to joke that Montana is Canada’s underwear. That joke doesn’t sit well with my in-laws.
But I do love it here. There are many things I only dreamed of having, and moving to Montana put those dreams within reach. I’m willing to sacrifice poor weather conditions a few months out of the year to have everything else. The “perfect” weather and proximity to the beach in California wasn’t worth it when I spent all my time in traffic or
in a cubicle. Here in Montana, I can actually live.

I’m also just outside of Billings. I have a clear view of the Rims and the airport, and a portion of the Westend, when weather permits.

 

[Bantambird]

I'm East of Billings with a plot in Lockwood near the interstate. Makes me easy to find when folks come buy chicks!

 

[ThunderHillChick]

That is so awesome! I’ve always lived with similar if not worse weather lol moving here to marry hot farmer was a no brainer who else would say... of course you can go pick up free roosters 3hours away?? No man in Canada I ever met, that’s for sure Umm so I’m going to go pick up some free chickens tomorrow. I’ll take them to the other farm yard chicken house/yard. Til I’m certain no one is diseased/on deaths door lol besides I can’t stand seeing it empty