*** We are on hiatus. The definition of hiatus is:
Hiatus: noun
a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process
This is a little moment in time that we need to refocus. Once we are in a place that either has a garage or are able to rent a shop/work space, we will start building the KBikes again! There simply isn't space in a one bedroom basement apartment. I am more than grateful for this roof over our heads as it was not easy finding a place to live in this county at this time. Taking a short break from making KBikes seems a small price to pay for having a place to live. Thank you for understanding and for your patience!
Just to reiterate: We will be making the KBikes again!! I will let everyone know when that time is. I do not have a date at this time. But don't worry, once I do I WILL let everyone know!
If you follow me over on Facebook, you'll be aware that my Handsome Hubby and I found out the place we have been living for the last 10 years was put on the market. If you are up on the housing market, you'll know houses are selling pretty quickly. Especially here in Montana. So, we knew things may move fast - BUT we did not know the realtor was going to ask us to be out in less than 30 days AND insist we remove all the fencing and all the sheds. Basically, erasing ourselves and all the hard work we had done, from the property. I was not prepared for how this would make me feel.
Handsome Hubby and I worked pretty much nonstop for two weeks to get all the fencing taken down, the posts pulled and the sheds moved. I cried A LOT during this process - for a few reasons:
I am the QUEEN of redneck. This means that often times things are cobbled together. This does NOT make it easier to dismantle my creations.
I kept hurting myself.
My heart literally hurt in my chest as we torn down everything we had worked so hard to put up, with the landlords permission and blessing. He said he would pay us for the materials when we moved. It turned out he wouldn't.
I set up having the sheds moved. Two were moved to Helena, to Molly's place. She also got A LOT of fencing, extra gates, the gates I made and many many T-Posts.
The biggest shed is going to another very close friend who needs it. She also bought my little, adorable tractor and all the implements. I am so happy to see these things going to people close to me, who will enjoy them as much as I have!
I spent every extra moment packing, and organizing, selling what we did not want to store and taking small loads down to the storage unit. Handsome Hubby still needed to be at work as being the Sheriff is a big job and can't be put on hold while our personal lives go through changes. I also still work for Chimacum Tack, and have to help customers, answer phone calls, return calls, answer emails, place orders, etc. Thank goodness for Amie and Kirsty during this time!! They have saved my butt so many times over the last few weeks. I am deeply grateful for their help and support.
Right at the end of all this craziness, the latest KBike batch was completed. We had to go pick them up, then put them all together, take them apart, wrap and package them and ship them. That, alone, feels like a full time job. Having this happen right when we needed to be moving south, was a challenge for sure. Originally, they were supposed to be done the second week of August which, timing wise, would have been much easier!
On Handsome Hubby's days off, we worked from dawn until dark, hauling things here and there, organizing and making decisions about certain things. Our son Logan and his girlfriend received quite a few things we didn't want to haul around. I sold a few things. I put things up for free but received mostly messages from people who felt I should deliver the free item several hours ONE WAY to them. LOL. So that did not work well. Instead what we did was haul load after load to the local transfer site, where we can haul garbage for free, and set these things to side. When things are off to the side this means they are free for the taking. EVERY SINGLE THING we set to the side was taken by someone who needed it. That last day we even had a guy standing by the trailer as we unloaded some garbage and he asked for several things we were going to toss! I love knowing that these things could be put to use by someone instead of taking up space in the landfill.
Don't get me wrong. We hauled several pony trailer loads to the transfer station that were 100% garbage. And we felt every single load. On one hand it's horrifying to see how much garbage two people can accumulate. And on the other hand it's horrifying to see how much garbage we have been hauling around from move to move and then storing at each home. Why are humans so crazy!!?
There were changes afoot anyway. As you all know, I have been wondering if ponies were in my future, since I have always had them. Recently they have felt like more of a burden than a place to lose myself. This is a great time to see how I feel when I don't have them. I have given Zorro to my friend Molly and her SO. He is a tall guy and has felt a little funny driving her little mare, Goldie. He LOVES driving with Molly and Zorro will do wonderfully for him. Molly has known Zorro since before he was trained to drive, so has seen all his wonderful traits and his not so desirable ones. And she STILL loves him. LOL! Also, Gracie is Zorro's sister so it's rather fun to know they now live together. My "plan" is to come back and get Oliver once we are settled.
We have moved south of Ennis about 25 miles. It's a little apartment in the basement of a house. It's usually used as a vacation rental. The owners heard about our situation and reached out, offering this adorable little place to us. AND they allow dogs!
Finding an affordable rental, that also allowed pets, was proving to be VERY difficult. In the weeks I have been searching, calling people every day, I was told rentals were $3500-4000 a month and did not allow pets. Even small, one-room hotel rooms were wanting $1600 a month for winter "rent". We did find one large house, but for just the two of us it felt too big, and it was a shame to take an entire house off of the market, with so many families with kids looking for affordable housing as well.
We can be in this apartment until May 1st, when it has to go back to being a vacation rental. (Also this entire place is for sale so it may sell as well and then we'll be on the look out again!) One of the HUGE pluses of this place is that it's fully furnished. Though we did bring things like our own bedding and towels, plates, mugs, glasses and silverware, they have provided everything else. So we were able to whittle down our possessions to things that fit in our storage unit. And now that we have done that, we 100% realize, we can sell 1/2 of the things we are currently storing. So, we will be having a storage unit sale soon!
Last night Handsome Hubby told me, "We can take a break for a few days and then we need to plan our future." lol. I love how he can put something so incredibly complicated in such simple terms!
If I have learned only one thing in the last few weeks it's this:
I make a plan and then life happens and my plans completely change. 100%. The lesson in that, I believe, is to stay completely flexible, bending and flexing with life instead of trying to stand rigid and fight against the change. I am completely worn out at this point, standing rigid would only cause me to be worn out and broken!
We are both looking forward to the next chapter of our journey. We are back to the drawing board as far as finding a place to spend that next chapter. If I don't have the ponies (or if I have only one and can board him somewhere) the housing market opens up dramatically. Changing and shifting priorities dictate this next chapter for sure.
Once we have a shop or a garage we will open up the store again, make more KBikes and halters, lead ropes and driving lines.
I still work for Chimacum Tack and will continue to do so. I will be answering the phones, answering emails, placing orders and writing blog posts for Chimacum as long as they will have me!
We are closing this chapter and turning our faces forward, to the next one. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this!