This weekend the family (wife and kids) made their first trip to Montello. We arrived in town late in the afternoon and made our first stop at the city park to fill the water container. Five gallons later, we were off to the property.
A couple miles down a well maintained dirt road out of town and another 3/4 of a mile down a dirt trail with sage brush growing between the tire tracks, we were on scene. I was surprised to see new sage brush growing on the road and the tent pad my brother and I cleared a few months prior. Montello has received an unusually high amount of rainfall in the last couple months, greening the valley more so than the spring showers were able to back in early May.
After getting the tent setup, sleeping bags laid out, and firewood off loaded, we headed over to G's property for a picnic dinner...Montello style. G is a new friend I met in Montello on my first trip out and has been an invaluable resource and motivation. G is building an earth bag house and is making excellent progress. After checking out his rubble trench foundation and getting a feel for the construction process of an earthbag home, we filled our stomachs with a fresh fruits, raw veggies, bread, and a mesquite smoked tri tip roast.
G and his wife E then exposed us to our first game of bocce ball. Bocce ball is simple, fun, and entertaining...especially with G around. The ladies were also quick to discover a shared interest in soccer, which resulted in a quick game of two on two on the sand lot!
Shortly before sunset we crossed the valley back to our property and enjoyed smores by the fireside while getting better acquainted with our new Montello friends. Summer nights in Montello are amazing. The extreme quiet overwhelms and the air is easy to breathe. The occasional train passing through the middle of the valley was the only forced listening. I found the occasional train horn in the distance to be a solid and welcomed reminder of what I left in the city only a few hours before.
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