Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

So curious how the timing of things in life somehow happens.  Our house is for sale, our son's house in Denver is for sale, and in Big Fork, Montana (my kids told me tonight)  our old family place (my Dad & Step Mom's former home) is also up for sale.  It's called O'Duac'hain (Our family name "Doohan" in Gaelic).  It feels so odd probably (maybe) because besides some of the decor, (and furniture) the next owners never really changed it.
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They added the pavillion, but everything else (inside and out) remains the same.  Very bittersweet, but I'm glad I've seen it again. They were in at least two decorating magazines in the 90s (it did look prettier and more dramatic then).   ANYWAY, it was awesome, and I want to share it with you.  They ran a very successful bed and breakfast in it (when we weren't taking the rooms away from the paying guests)!  :)  My little brother died while they were living there, so it was the setting for our grief and love and the sharing of our memories of him.  We also had a lot of fun there and have some wonderful memories.  When we rode, they gave me "Bud the riding Mule"... they must have thought I was clumsy or something.  At night there it was pitch black and the stars were so bright and so close.  I guess that's why they call it "Big Sky Country."  Lovely.  We're all headed back to Montana this summer to do both of our parent's memorials in the town where they were born (Anaconda).

The guest house.  I almost had a severely injured hubby (then fiance) from a crazy construction idea of my Dad's.  It involved Brent on the roof holding on to tools and a rope, with my Dad on a tractor on the other side of the building... the rope attached to the tractor!  That was a sight I'll never forget!  :)  There were a lot of construction "mishaps"!

Master bedroom



We all had wonderful times there, and my boys had so many adventures and memories of a lifetime on their summer trips there!  They worked hard, but LOVED it.  One summer when Billy was there, they had Niel Bush (dub-ya's brother) and family and secret service staying there.  What a learning experience for all of them.

The front door.  One time they had an icicle that went from the peak of the roof to the foot of the deck, and you could barely get your arms around it.  We went ice fishing on that visit.  (I had to have my full make up and hair to go ice fishing)!  Back in the day!
Two carved Irishmen pointing the way in.

Tony's Memorial.  He was 20 when he passed away in 1989.



Life is rich, but it wouldn't be unless we had both happy and sad.

Here is the listing, it has more pics:
 http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/675-N-Ferndale-Dr-Bigfork-MT-59911/2128918910_zpid/

Love,
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3 comments:

  1. Wow! If I were a rich girl, HAHA, I would buy that property in a heart beat. I LOOONG to live in the mountains. It's my favorite place on earth. What a gorgeous home!

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  2. Thanks for sharing your family home. It's gorgeous and I just wish I could buy it and move right in!
    ~Adrienne~

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  3. What a beautiful place! You were fortunate, indeed, to have spent a portion of your life there. We were in Bigfoot, in 2009, I have a cousin who owns a gallery there, his name is Ken Bjorge. He paints and is a sculptor. He did a statue of Bing Crosby that is on the campus at WSU (like you needed to know that). It was a short trip, we had a family reunion in Missoula. Good to see you back blogging!

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