Archive for ‘September, 2008’

Friday morning walk

Some clouds are starting to drift in today as a forecast cool front makes its way to our neck of the woods. We have had a week of days reaching nearly to or slightly above the 80 degree mark with nights in the upper 30 – low 40’s. The angle of the sun is low enough and the nights cool enough that it barely hits the high before it rapidly cools down again but it has been very pleasant to sit outside in the evening and enjoy what could be the last of what feels like summer.

And although I have been abnormally busy this week as I crammed some house and yard projects into the schedule, we never skip walks or some quiet time just sitting outside. I have been taking the camera, but the summer-like cloudless conditions with very dry air created a hazy sky and while I still think it is beautiful, it did not make for what seemed like interesting photos.

But, this morning, a few clouds, a bit more humidity, the sun through the trees…I couldn’t resist.

Friday morning walk.

Change of venue

While I continue working on the front porch, the front porch furniture is in the front yard. Karl and Bob – and I – have adjusted…

Maybe Karl and I more than Bob…

I’m using an old comforter as my kneeling pad while sanding. Bob likes a blankie or cushion and it WAS on the front porch…

The porch is sanded and clean and ready for the sealer to be applied this afternoon. I’ve been scrambling to get this done as well as a few other outside projects that are better done in nice weather. It has been sunny, warm and very dry and supposed to be that way until Sunday so this is my opportunity to get some end-of-summer things done before we get into the off and on rainy, then snowy, fall-winter. We often have gorgeous, warm days into October but not so many in a row as this week offered.

I may be a bit slow on the blog posts as I still have my “day job” also. I added back my Twitter account over on the left: “Snippets of life” – just so there is no worry that I have done myself in playing with power tools…. “Snippets” is just a “what I’m doing now” thing – bits of my day or loose thoughts that don’t make a blog post.

…all coming at the moment, from the front yard.

Harvest morning

I headed out first thing this morning to return the pressure washer and get a belt sander (rental also)… the beginning of that story is here . – the end will follow…hopefully sooner rather than later!

Work had just begun on the last wheat field to be harvested on my road. I love watching the work and the transformation of the fields and it was a gorgeous morning.

Montana harvest morning.

Simply beautiful

Last evening’s walk was beautiful in that simple way of a warm, quiet evening. Karl and I puttered along on our walk in no hurry – him sniffing and looking, me just looking.

Return view of sky and setting sun through the woods…

The evening – simply beautiful!

…that red collar on the fence post??? I’ve been looking for it – Karl’s second collar (we have 2 so that one can be washed…) – I’ve been looking on the ground for it. I was working on this photo and noticed the red. I barely paid attention and finally realization of what it was kicked in. Have to laugh at myself as I’ve probably been passing by it on that post for days now.

Weather watching

From the Front Porch reader, Sandy, and her husband Jerry have been traveling the west these last weeks. On two previous trips, visits to Glacier National Park were a bit of a bust as the park was cloudy, fogged and/or snowed in so that they never saw the mountains…and as I just found out never saw a mountain goat either! Sandy emailed me from the Grand Tetons asking about Glacier Park weather – should they or shouldn’t they make the trip north? It is risky business trying to predict mountain weather but it has been beautiful and the forecast said it was to continue so I posted yesterday’s Glacier photos as added incentive and told them to “Come on up”!

They did! – Sandy emailed me this morning that they were on their way and that she was so excited to think that they would finally see the mountains in Glacier National Park. It was still dark when she emailed but the sky was clear and filled with stars so I had high hopes for gorgeous weather.

ahhhhhh!!! – That is a sigh of relief as the morning dawned clear and beautiful with the mountains visible north to the park. Sandy and Jerry stopped on their way to the park and in time for a piece of cherry pie…

on the front porch.

from Glacier National Park, circa 2001

The photos following were taken on 9/15/2001 at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. I went looking for them as a reader and her husband are currently in the Grand Tetons – deciding whether to go to Glacier and I thought I’d email her some shots as I remembered there had been both sunshine and snow…

The mountain goats are nearly always around the summit of Going to the Sun Road (Logan Pass). As is typical with goats, they will munch on anything and have found that visitors have an amazing array of munchable stuff on and around them. This mama and baby were doing the actual mountain goat thing – ON the mountain – my old camera without much zoom, though.

And the snow????