Posts from the ‘Nature’ category

Snow Day 2

The evening of June 10…night before last – after the snow event…nearly mid-June, nearly the summer solstice – within 11 days of the longest day of the year – sunset is shortly after 9:30 p.m. The photo below was taken shortly after 9:00 p.m.

Maybe hard to believe, but the temperatures did not go below freezing. Yesterday morning at 5:00 a.m. it was nearly 33 and stayed there until late afternoon when it was almost 40. The snow is still around but melting and slushy and just a damp mess – not a snow that is fun to play in. Still, a dog needs to be walked and so we went…

Sad Lupins… (that’s NOT a lupin below…I realized Thursday afternoon when I walked that I was calling these wrong – they are actually a noxious weed and I’m not sure of the name. Those are lupins in the grass under the tree….)

Above – in the grass – is how they should look now.

the walk path – see the stump to the right?

see how much snow is on the stump???

Towards the end of the walk – the top of the mountains are fogged in, but still – the most of them we have seen in two days.

Headed North

Geese

Geese

Geese

I took these photos last Saturday. I kept hearing geese overhead and when Karl and I were walking our ridge path I heard them again. Although a bit hard to see in that first photo, I have never seen so many “V’s” at one time. The cacophony of honking almost hurt my ears. But it brought to mind “The Goose Story” … I could link to the old post but I think it is one that is worth repeating so here it is:

What science has taught us about why geese fly they way they do:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in a ‘V formation, the whole flock can fly at least 71% farther than if each bird flew on its own.

Perhaps people who share a common direction can get where they are going quicker and easier if they cooperate.

When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of flying with the flock.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will work with others who are going the same way as we are.

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies on the point.

It pays to take turns doing hard jobs for our group.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. The lead goose (on the point) never honks

The power of praise and recognition is critical to success.

Finally, (get this) when a goose weakens or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they then set out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with the group.

If we had the sense of a goose, we would stand by each other like that.

Mountains, Lupins and Karl

First – a note from Karl…

Karl's note

Onward…I have some photos from yesterday and no profound words to go with them. It has been rainy, thundershowery, occasional sun breaks … the rain is wonderful, we need it. It is a busy work week. So there you have it – weather and work. I’ll be quiet now and go with the pictures.

Mountains in the mist yesterday morning.

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Lupins – they are starting to bloom around my woods. And I am continually fascinated by the way that the leaves hold raindrops. Walking the path that has the lupins on each side, it is like walking through a field of diamonds when the raindrops catch the light.

Lupins

Lupins

And Karl…it has been cooler and so he is full of joy and running and generally playing on the morning walk. A good stick is plenty to keep him happy…well, and his dirt pile!

Karl

Karl

Thus was yesterday – Mountains, Lupins and Karl.

Some different mountain views

At times, the views in the mountains change from moment to moment…

Living here – in Montana, in the shadow of the Continentel Divide has been my choice for fourteen years. I was thrilled yesterday when I discovered that Mountain Jobs had discovered From the Front Porch. Further, that the summary was so how I hope the writing and the photography is perceived as well as an accurate vision of how I hope I am living my life here. The Mountain Jobs Blog Post titled “Big Sky Country: simple pleasures living in Montana” made my day!

For those readers who hope to someday live in the mountains, Mountain Jobs is an employment network. The company and the site work to bring employers together with people looking for the mountain lifestyle. While the company is based in Jackson, Wyoming, it serves employers and job seekers from the entire mountain west.

From Wednesday through last evening as I write this post that will appear Saturday morning – the mountain views have changed from moment to moment.

Driving home Wednesday afternoon, clouds were starting to build up along the mountains surrounding the valley while all the while the sky was a brilliant blue…

Flathead Lake Sky

Flathead Lake Sky

Flathead Lake Sky

Flathead Lake Sky

The sky and mountain views glowed with the colors of the rainbow that evening… a scene I captured in yesterday morning’s post: Mountain Sunset Alpinglow

Yesterday (Friday) morning the mountain views were VERY different…

Cloudy Mtn

Cloudy Mtn

Cloudy Mtn

Cloudy Mtn

The views in the mountains change from moment to moment…

Cinderellie, Cinderellie

The Calypso orchid or Fairyslipper (Calypso bulbosa)….

A very small foot to fit in this “slipper” – these are less than an inch. They are easy to miss in the woods as they are often bent downward so that only the purple “underside” is visible and looking very much like the back of a wood violet. They are my favorite thing to find. Montucky at Montana Outdoors has much better capture of these beauties: Calypso

A correction on yesterday’s post…those are Gardenia – which I’m very happy about. I love gardenia – my father gave my mother and I gardenia corsages for Easter. The scent of the gardenia in the refrigerator…waiting for Sunday – to put on my very special Easter dress – a vivid and beautiful memory. The scent always transports me.

Almost home….looking back

Where Karl and the last trees are – before things open up – is the eastern edge of my property. I’m taking these photos about a third of the way from that edge – towards where my house sits.

Evening light

After an unseasonably warm period, we are now unseasonably cool. And an unusual weather pattern is bringing rain and mountain snow swirling in from the east-southeast instead of the normal western flow.

After two cloudy, overcast days, the sun came out early last evening. Karl and I took our normal evening walk. The weather coming in from the east and the sun still high in the western sky made for a beautiful contrast. Sunny green grass and trees stood out against the fresh snow on the mountains, a brilliant blue sky and fluffy white clouds as well as dark snow and rain filled clouds. The temperature rose to a balmy 55 after hovering near a damp 50 through the day. A soft wind blew through the pine trees…it was a smorgasboard of color, light, sound and the softness of a spring evening…

Evening Mtns

Evening Mtns

Evening Mtns

Evening

Evening Mtns

Evening Mtns

Evening