20 Firehill , Outlook, MT 59254(Sheridan County)

Nothing outshines the stars at night in this pastoral setting, but the owners have planted trees every year, so you are having a little forest right on your property. The area lends itself to long walks, horseback rides and snow mobile adventures in the peaceful open spaces and rolling plains. The home is sunny and bright, with large windows and covered porch on two sides. Just about every window has a panoramic view. There is brand new country kitchen with new hardwood floors. Tiles are in the mudroom and there is room for a washer and drier in the downstairs hall near the bathroom. Right now the washer and drier are in the living quarters at the shop. The farmhouse has its two bedrooms upstairs. Since electric is now cheaper than gas, a brand new electric furnace was installed which heats the whole house quite efficiently, but there is also a woodstove in the living room. The electric runs $150 a month in summer and in winter $600, which is reasonable considering the size of the woodshop. The school bus stops right in front of the house and the mail is being delivered three times a week. The postal address is actually Outlook, which is NW of the property.

The shop is 150' x 50' with a finished area of 16' x 75', which has a big loft above for storage. There is a woodshop in the finished part along with a bathroom, laundry facility, full kitchen, office and conference room, which could be used as a bedroom. Part of the rest of the shop is now being used as a stall area for a horse and two goats complete with hay storage. The building has large sliding doors on either end.

If you like to garden, the greenhouse is 88' x 30' and comes with a brand new covering. The present owner is growing pumpkins and watermelons in it and of course uses it to start her saplings. The soil on the property is excellent and the seller has a large garden that grows corn, potatoes, tomatoes and a vast variety of veggies.

Conveying with the property is one solar panel which the owners were planning to install.

There are three wells on the property, one for house and garden, one for the shop and greenhouse and one for one of the ponds in case it runs dry later in summer. There is plenty of water to be had, they water the garden every day and never ran short. The water contains some iron, so it does not taste very good, but the filter takes enough out so the laundry and bathroom fixtures do not get stained. Of course the plants thrive on the mineral rich water.

Right by the house are a few more buildings. One 30'x 40'pole barn with concrete floor is being used as a garage and has two finished rooms and a large closet in it, but no windows. Then there is a garden shed which doubles as a garage for the 4-wheeler and as chicken coop. The third building is one of the original farmstead buildings and about ready to give up its ghost.

The land is leased on an annual basis to a local farmer, who pays the owner roughly $ 1,500 a year to plant 40acres of wheat and about 20acres of alfalfa. The harvest is about 22-23 bushels of wheat per acre on summer fallow. The farmer always shares the alfalfa with the present owner.

The city of Plentywood is about 6 miles away - just long enough to listen to a couple of your favorite songs wile you are driving. The community centers around farms and ranches, but the oil exploration spilling over from neighboring North Dakota, and trade with Canada, brings diversity to the little town of about 2,000. There is a medical facility in town, along with elderly care. The elevation is around 2050 feet and the annual rainfall is around 14," so there is plenty of sunshine, with average temperatures ranging from a little below freezing in winter to not much over room temperature in summer.

The nearest Walmart Supercenter is in Williston, North Dakota, which is about 85 miles to the SE. Williston is enjoying a rapid growth, compliment of the oil boom, and a brand new four lane highway has been built from there across the northern part of North Dakota to Minot.

The nearest commercial airport is in Canada, Regina, Saskatchewan, population 178,225. It is 120 miles from Plentywood, Montana. Billings, the largest city in Montana with 120,000 people is 343 miles to the south. Chances are slim that this area will get crowded any time soon, which I know seems to be a problem with many towns in rural America at this time.

The schools are modern and there are shops, of course: an upscale women's boutique, a sporting goods store, Pamida, a new grocery store, floral shop, Rexall Drug store, gift stores, 2 furniture stores, a mini department store, two 24- hour convenience stores, 2 pizza houses, 2 appliance stores, 2 hardware stores, a Dairy Queen, numerous restaurants and coffee shops, a bakery, antique stores, resale shops, full-service gas stations, tire shops, mechanics, John Deere implement, a veterinary clinic, hair/nail/tanning salons, office supply store, and numerous bars and casinos. Plentywood was incorporated in 1912 and is Sheridan County's Seat. The county was named for Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, who was instrumental in the development and protection of the Yellowstone National Park.

If you like to hunt, upland game birds (pheasants, grouse, partridge), or geese and ducks, they are abundant, as are Whitetail, mule deer, and antelope. Excellent fishing can be found 2-3 hours from Plentywood for lake trout, Northerns, and walleye in Fort Peck Lake, etc. Local fishing and ice fishing in Bolster Dam, local stock dams, and Medicine Lake. As a matter of fact, you could rent out the extra rooms in the shop to hunters, give them breakfast, pack them a lunch and cook dinner for them. That would be quite a profitable enterprise. Actually there is always work to be found in Plentywood. The hospital trains CNA for free even, if you have any skills, there is a lot of demand for blue collar work. The green house could be an income if you grow veggies there, too. There is also the oil field work. There is a company there called Diamond B., they pay pretty well for truckers. It's a decent trucking job because you can sleep in your own bed every night. Their scheduling is 5 days on and 3 days off.

Other outdoor activities include snowmobiling, sledding and cross country skiing out your back door, on hills near town and on the golf course. Water skiing, jet skiing, and swimming at Brush Lake - FWP managed with a sandy beach, bathroom facilities, and boating dock. There is also a motor sports racing complex. If you like clubs and social activities, there is the Community Choir, Prairie Symphonette, Antelope Dinner Theatre, Old Car club Motor-cross club, Bump-n-run car club, Sno-travelers, Old Tractor Club, Trap Shooting Club, Golf leagues, dart leagues, and bowling leagues, baseball Leagues (for all ages), Dolphin Swim team, City league basketball, Adult volleyball , Roping Club, Trail riding/wagon train club, 4-H, Quilting clubs, Book club, Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts, Homemakers clubs, Knights of Columbus, WELCA, Shriners, Elks Lions Sherwood Garden Club, Red Hat Society, Golden Years (senior citizens), and I wouldn't be surprised if there are more reasons for social gatherings....