Vigilanty Bird Watcher Harrasses Young Mother and Her Dogs

I woke up this morning, like most mornings. I got Addi dressed and fed and loaded Addi and the dogs up for a morning walk by the river. This morning I was not greeted by the songs of birds or the sound of the rive. This morning I got a different sort of greeting.

I pulled up to the Tower Street river access off of 3rd Street. A place I have been talking my dogs on off-leash walks for several years. A place I frequent at least once a week. In the parking lot was a lone minivan and a nice looking gentleman standing in the parking lot taking a picture of a bird. I parked my car and sat there for a minute or so until I saw the bird he was photographing fly away. I then got Addi out of the car seat, said, "Hello." to the nice looking man, locked up my bag and let the dogs out of the car. This is when the nice looking man looked at me and scowled and said, "Shouldn't you have those dogs on a leash?" I nicely replied, "No, they are just fine." Well he proceeded to harass me saying I was breaking the law and I should have my dogs on a leash and ya-dah-ya-yah-dah-ya-dah. I understood the trail was an off-leash trail. My dogs weren't bothered by this man scolding me. They were off doing their sniffing of the perimeter and their morning potty business. I tried to ignore the man and I followed behind them picking up three fresh piles of poop and responsibly disposing of them. He then proceeded to take a picture of my car and license plate, a picture of me and pictures of my dogs and my little daughter. Ok, buddy this is where you crossed the line. Still calmly, I asked the man to stop taking pictures of me and my daughter. He rudely replied, "Look lady you on are on public land I can do what I want. Now get those dogs on a leash." I said, "Ok, if you won't stop taking pictures of us then I will just call the police." He told me to go ahead. I dialed 911 and told the operator this was a non-emergency and proceeded to tell her what had happened. I told her I felt harassed and threatened and to please send a patrol car. Meanwhile, the man walked to the trail-head signs looking for it to say leashes were required, however he did not find that. As I finished up with 911 the man made his way out of my view and I suppose went walking down the trail.

I loaded the dogs back into the car and sat and waited for the police officer to show up. A few minutes later the nice cop lady called me and I explained to her what had happened. She said she was on the way and to stick around if I wanted to but to have no further contact with the man. She showed up and we had a little talk. She said she wasn't clear on the leash laws in this particular area as she also walks her two labs at the same spot off leash on occasion. She was very nice and thought the man was just a "crotchety old bird watcher who gets mad when the dogs scare away his birds." I am sure she was right. But me and my dogs have as much right to the trail as he does. Even to think I waited until his precious chickadee flew away before I released my beasts! The nice lady cop "advised" me to leash the dogs the first 100 feet or so as to not bother people in the parking lot and to check with Parks and Rec on the exact leash laws. She also said to notify her immediately if I see the man again or see his car drive past my house. Creepy.

I left this area and Addi and took the dogs just down the road to the 7th Street river access. We had a nice walk and met a huge dog named Riley who played and played with Mason. The nice cop lady called back and said she spoke with the gentleman and he said he had no intention of using the photos for anything other to prove I had my dogs off leash. He also lied to her and said he didn't take a picture of my car, that he deleted the one picture he took of me and that I didn't pick up the poop. She "advised" me to please pick up my dogs poop, which I did!!

Sounds petty now that I write this little story. I even apologized to the nice cop lady for coming all the way down for something so petty. But she said, "Please don't apologize, that is why we are here." She also said you never know when some small encounter can lead to a big arrest of a big, scary, stalker, raper person. She was very nice and professional and I was happy I called. I am very protective of Addison and living in Salt Lake next to the drive-by shooting drug dealers has made wary of every stranger, nice looking or not. Paranoid, maybe. But also safe. I am always watching my back. Someone wise once said to me, "Watch your back. Don't become a victim." And when I say he once said to me, I mean he tells me about every time I talk to him!!!

He may have been just a crabby old man, but he is also lucky crabby man. Lucky that Dylan or Sara wasn't with me to give him a few not-so-nice replies to his rude accusations and lucky I called the police instead of my very protective, AR-15 packing father!!!

What really bummed me out is that this experience is what you find in the big city. Crabby people out to ruin everyone else's day. Big city mentality is leaking into our small, happy, weird, friendly city. Pretty soon the safe, secure, home-town feeling will be extinct. I feel robbed of my sense of security to go walk my dogs at this access free from harassment. I probably will not go back.

A Honorable Mention

My daddy was my hero
For my very youngest years;
Daddy kept me safe and happy,
And he chased away my fears.
I watched in awe and wonder
At each manly thing he did;
Oh, I looked up to my daddy,
When I was a little kid.

My dad was still my hero,
As the years passed, one by one.
He taught important lessons,
And he took some time for fun.
He was my firm foundation;
On my dad I did depend;
He was always there for me,
My dad, my guide, my friend.
My father is my hero,
Now that I am fully grown.
I love him and respect him,
The best man I've ever known.
I knew when I would marry
That my husband had to be
A great man, just like my father,
Dad, my hero you'll always be.

By Joanna Fuchs

My Beautiful Daughter - 21 Months Old

Addison Jo is my favorite photography subject. She is getting so big and so beautiful! One little walk in the forest and I get the best pictures.

the Cabin

Placid Lake. Uncle Ron and Aunt Merna's lake house has always been a meeting place for the extended Terry family. We can count on a least two great trips a year where darn near the whole family is there. The cabin is a great place to meet up with the family and we look forward to every trip. The cabin is a not-so quiet place of relaxation, great food, lots of play and family time.
You know you are close to the cabin when you cross the bridge and often you see the boat being put to good use or Riley and Easton fishing off the canoe or along the lake shore somewhere and finally the smiling log stump creatures greet your arrival. Pulling up to the lake you are first greeted by our Terry Family Dog Pack. Pack leader Raven will be the first to reach you, with Razzy at her heals not far behind; Bear is obediently watching the commotion from the porch; Jewel is staking her ground as the miniature house guard and Toby is curled up somewhere not far from Lena's reach. Mason, Kya and Pug-Pug fit in nicely and add a few more playmates to the pack. Walking into the door in the morning hours you are greeted by a plethora of sleepy cousins and smiling aunt and uncles! Uncle Ron is cooking a cast iron breakfast on the heating stove, Aunt Merna is reading on the recliner, Aunt Shelly is sipping coffee sitting on the couch next to Uncle Rick. Uncle Mike has started preparing a feast of pork ribs and Aunt Moni is helping with the effort. It truly takes a team effort to feed this family. When the menu consists of ribs, enter dinner time with caution, it will be a feeding frenzy! Uncle Roger sleepily utters a smart comment from across the room! Grandma Enie is sitting at the computer checking her emails and corresponding with her other long distance family. From the time Grandpa John wakes up he can be found on the bottom lakeside deck, playing cards and listening to his music. This simple tradition is a cabin icon.

This last weekend at the cabin it was cold and rainy. An unlikely weather condition for August. Playing on the lake was left to the younger, still crazy, cold-water loving cousins! On any other weekend however, playing on the water starts early, when the water is still flawless glass. Being the first to mess up that perfect glass water with the wave runner or cutting edges on the wake board is a great feeling. You feel free on the water. I mean that literally. When Uncle Rick is pulling you on the tube and you are set flying freely through the air with the water and the tube 20 or 30 feet below you!! Not a feeling in the world like it!

When the sun starts to set you can always count on Jake or Roger starting the bon fire. The word bon fire is used loosely here. Other people's ideas of a bon fire is a little different. You could jump over these people's fires if you wanted or needed to. A Terry bon fire is unexplainable. Huge. Monstrous. Like non-other. I am sure the space station can feel the heat from it! I am also sure at one point a lookout tower has reported a Terry Fire as the beginning of the next uncontrollable wild land fire! If he hears anyone say,"The fire is too hot?, or "Why does this fire have to be sooo big?", Uncle Roger will only stoke it again, making it "Bigger Baby!" Other than a big fire being an awesome sight, it has to be that big so we sit far enough away to make room for everyone. Twenty-six this year. Might be a new record! We were even missing the Luedtke clan which would have added 5 more.

We had the musically talented cousins taking turns playing their guitars and signing their favorite songs. Jake, Lena and Madi are so amazing to me. They each have their very own styles and they all sound so great.

Another great cabin weekend, listening to acoustic guitar and goofy conversation next to the fire, surrounded by family on the edge of the lake...feels so good to be HOME!

My New Favorite Pic

This photo is unedited. I just love it.

Photo credit: Me!

An amazing evening on Salmon Lake playing in the water as the sun sets.

If you click on the pic it will enlarge it and you can see the details of the sun hitting the water and the details of the rocks in the clear water.

Lucky to call Montana home

A simple, three hour float down the Blackfoot River truly makes me appreciate living in Montana. In three short hours we watch in their natural habitat a Merganser Duck family scampering up river, diving in and out of the water searching for fish; an immature bald eagle, flying through the trees; sucker face fish holding on to the river bottom and several ospreys, meandering up and down the river gazing for food. When Addison sees the wildlife she still says, "Oh, wow!" She is so right! It is rare to be surrounded with such natural beauty. In my few out-of-state adventures I have found one thing to remain the same, the grass isn't greener any where else!



I hope Addison grows with appreciate of how lucky she is to grow up in such a peacefully, beautiful place. I hope she continues to find joy in learning about animals and the niches they call home. She sure loves being on the boat and floating the river. She loves to row, which makes Daddy very happy!!

Not a professional photograher...yet

I was excited to apply for a part time photography job only to be disappointed once again. The job was for an entry-level photographer, taking school pictures! I was so excited to apply and even more excited when I got back from floating the river and I had a message saying they wanted to set up an interview with me. I called the women back and she started telling me the job requires traveling around Montana and Northern Idaho and at least two overnight trips a week. What was upsetting was the ad said 30 hours a week, up to 40 hours if you want the hours and it mentioned occasional travel, but nothing about two overnight trips a week required. Even if it would work with Dylan's schedule, I don't want to be away from Addison during the day let alone overnight at least two nights a week. Other than the traveling, the job sounded really great. I think I would have really enjoyed it.

If the ad would have been honest I wouldn't have spent the hour and a half submitting my cover letter and resume!

Home Sweet Home

We are back in "zoo town". Ok, seriously people unless you are from the East coast and therefore don't know any better, don't call Missoula "Zoo Town". I walk into a family barbecue and my uncle, who I thought would know better, says, "welcome back to the Zoo!" Oh, I about collapsed. Zoo town, zoo city, the zoo...it is consuming Montana natives...stay strong... resist the urge!

I don't even know where to start. It has been a crazy four weeks. It started off with us in Salt Lake City finishing up the cleaning and packing of our house. We packed up the moving truck with the help of Mac and Kenton. Saying goodbye to the Erb's was so hard. Addi whaled "Carley" as we drove away from their house. She totally understood what was happening. It broke my heart to watch her give Carley a hug goodbye. We spent most weekends at the Erb's house for over a year and it was hard to drive away from them.


The drive from Salt Lake to Missoula was the fastest trip we have ever had. We got up at 5 am and pulled into Missoula around one in the afternoon. Dylan's parents and brother came over to our new house and helped unload the truck. In about 20 minutes the truck was empty. That evening Dave and Em came over and helped us unpack. Em did her whorl wind organizing and quickly put my house back together! It was so great to have so much help. By the time I had to drive Dylan to Spokane on Sunday our house was completely unpacked, the pictures were hung and it already felt like home. Addi and I drove Dylan to Spokane on Sunday morning. Dylan flew back to Salt Lake and Addi and I stayed with Jackie and the boys for one night in Spokane. It was really great seeing them. Ethan and Owen are so grown up. Jackie is adorable all pregnant with Liam!

Addison and I spent the 2 1/2 weeks without Dylan at family gatherings and with our friends. We were busy, going somewhere everyday. We made it to the river with the dogs several times, we made an evening trip to Salmon Lake with Neil, Ember and Ella. We've picked a billion huckleberries and we floated the river with Dave and Em. Dave made us a lobster tail, steak and shrimp dinner. Oh, yah! Wow, it was the best dinner I have ever had. Addison is true Montana girl. She loves all the water! It made the time without Dylan go by really fast. Which was great for us. He spent his time living on our kitchen floor back in our Salt Lake house. He was on the kitchen floor so the newly cleaned carpets would not get dirty! Moni and Mike put him up the last few days. They said he was nipping at the bit to get back to Montana. Who would have guessed!!!

Dylan drove home last Wednesday. It is so great having him home. Addison doesn't let him out of her sight! She missed him so much. One day before he got home I was watching her without her knowing I was watching. I had hung several pictures of Dylan on our fridge at her eye level. She had taken a picture of him off the fridge and was silently looking at it and one solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't say anything, but you knew she was thinking about him and missing him. It was so sad. Addi and I made a ring countdown to when Daddy gets home, similar to the countdowns kids make for Christmas. Every day she looked forward to tearing a ring off the countdown until he was home.

Dylan has this week off before his clinical year begins. He will be working for four weeks at the allergy clinic near the Providence Center. Each week on Wednesday we will go to Kalispell to work at an allergy clinic there part of Wednesday and Thursday. He will be staying over night Wednesday to Thursday. He is excited to start this next phase. He will do great, I know he will love it.

I am in limbo right now. Trying to find a way to have to work only part time. The thought of not being with Addi during the day breaks my heart, but it is what is best for our family right now. I have been applying to a few jobs but I haven't heard back from them yet. I am eager to finish my Medical Transcription school so I can hopefully get a job doing that from home. I figure I have two solid more months working on it a few hours each day before I finish.

Addison is loving being home. She gets constant attention from family and friends. My sisters, Jessica and Jaci, spend a lot of time with us. Addi loves her aunties! She still talks about Carley almost daily. If we go swimming she gets her excited looks and shouts, "Carley? Julie?!" The other day we had friends over for dinner and I was telling Addi how our friends were going to come over soon. She went into her room and found the kitty blanket that Carley used to play on in Salt Lake. She laid it on her floor and picked out several toys for Carley to play with. She would do that for Carley when she would come over to our house. Poor girl. She really misses her friend. The other day she also said "Kenton" clear as day. For a year Kenton has tried to get her to say Kenton and she says it now when he can't hear it. She thinks about them all the time.














I made up a very special room for Addison. I was planning her toddler room for months. I think it turned out really great. She is so proud of it and shows it to everyone who comes over!












In a couple days Dylan and I will be celebrating our third wedding anniversary. Hard to believe! Three years have gone by already. Someone asked me the other day, "Are you still in love?" Yes, I can say with all my heart we are still very much in love. It has been a crazy three years full of constant change! The past few months have been hard for Dylan and I. With him immersed in his books and having very little spare time, but we always look forward to the time we do have together.

Blog Comments

I so look forward to all the comments left on my blog! Thanks for reading and sharing your advice!

I am not slacking....

Since being back in Missoula I have not had internet, besides the occasional times I log on at my dad's. I should be back online early this week. Dylan will be home on Wed! We are missing him so much.