The morning was sunny and beautiful, and we felt like walking around the farm a bit to see what there was to see.
We’d met the animals, but, Rudy really wanted to see if we could go back and find the first animal that greeted us upon our arrival to the Klippenes farm . . . a 4’ snake who slithered across the dirt road we drove in on. Jared and I 100% did NOT want to run into this creature again, but thought the adventure would be fun. Happy to report, no snake was found, but we did count 1000 crickets and grasshoppers, made a big wish on a big dandelion and enjoyed a breezy morning walk.
When we returned, Shane (a fireman) asked Jared if he wanted to do his morning walk/exercise routine with him. Jared quickly agreed and changed his clothes. Shane says he likes to take this old tractor piece and walk it around the property, his goal being the end of the dirt road we drove to get there. I don’t think he’s made it yet. Anyway, Jared was excited and up for the task/challenge. I’m sure a lot of friendly encouragement was spoken, and manly things said, but this was my take on it:
After that, I was exhausted just watching and felt like a little Montana sunshine was just what the doctor ordered to lay out in and work on my blog from the previous day. It’s hard work, but someone had to make sure that back porch didn’t blow away.
During the pre-house concert time, Shane was teasing us all day with delicious smoked meats. We knew he had put in some pork for dinner, but then he surprised us with some steak for lunch…oh my god. I’ve had so much delightful beef in this state, I may become a vegetarian for the parts of the year I’m not visiting, since I’ve never found its equal. Just kidding. Meat.
The day was peppered with great conversations and more getting to know each other. Rudy helped feed the sheep and we all got cleaned up for the show.
The show:
Oh my goodness… with house concerts, you never quite know what you’re going to get. It truly is up to the host to set the stage for the event, literally and figuratively. Shane and Quenby are no strangers to the house concert scene, so we knew we were in good hands. Shane had been advertising and promoting our show for weeks ahead of time, and it showed! A lot of friends came from all different aspects of Shane and Quenby’s life. The bummer part is that since Shane’s friend group is largely comprised of fire fighters, and a ton of Montana is on fire, several of his buddies couldn’t make it. They apologized for that a few times, but we kept insisting that “The people who were here were the EXACT people who were supposed to be here.”
We played for 2 hours and I’m certain we made life-long connections. The house concerts are truly special on several levels. The amount of time we get to take telling stories, visiting with fans, sharing life and just being in an intimate space with other humans.
We met some incredible “That Girls”
We were loved and showered with hospitality by our hosts.
We finished the evening eating potluck leftovers, listening to Weird Al with Rudy, and digesting a really emotional and heartfelt day.
Some tours are filled with conflict and struggle, broken down RVs, and non-appreciative audiences. This one is not. Each experience has been so full of good, it’s going to be hard to top next year. I hope the stories haven’t grown too mundane or passé, as each one ends with joy and gratitude, and I keep reiterating how kind all the people we’ve stayed with have been…but I write the truth. And it feels good to experience first hand the genuine hearts of humans, regardless of politics, religion, and lifestyles and just revel in the beauty this country has to offer.
