Just funny
Nothing profound…just funny
Last winter – Costco parking lot
MT driver…
Another Saturday Walk
This walking spot is next to and behind Costco and in the vicinity of a whole complex of shopping…Home Depot, Target, local stores. The walking trails are actually part of a park that includes soccer fields and baseball diamonds. It’s a beautiful spot with 360 views of the mountains – even if Costco and a new fire station are in field of vision. Our walking spots are fading with local development. The photos below are in the direction of Glacier National Park – called the “V”. In a few weeks – maybe less, it will be snow covered.
No Zoom – med Zoo – as much Zoom as I have:
there’s snow on them thar hills…
I woke in the night 2 nights ago and heard rain – a good sound considering the fires and dryness of this area. And it was a nice gentle rain so good moisture.
Yesterday afternoon, I was driving in to town (Kalispell) – blue skies, puffy white clouds and belatedly I noticed – SNOW on the mountain tops! It is high – probably 3500-4000 feet higher than my home and a bit higher than that from the valley floor, but beautiful. Mountain tops are made to have snow on them…
On the way to town, I stopped in Somers, MT – a little town that lives on the northwest border of Flathead Lake. There is a bit of an historic railroad trail that Karl and I walk. It’s on the way to the grocery I prefer. There is a restaurant along the trail and they have a garden to grow their own veg and herbs. The sunflowers below are from that garden – the lake and mountain view from along that trail.
Grandfather Pine
The pine tree I was in front of in yesterday’s post is beautiful and one of about 10 that live in front of my house.
But guarding the northwest corner of my property are 2 very old, very beautiful Ponderosa Pines. My friend, Kris, who looked at the property for me when I was in Michigan went on and on about the “grandfather” pine on the property corner – that it was worth buying the property for that tree.
“He” is a beauty – the photos cannot capture the size, the feeling of power and longevity – the patriarch… But equally beautiful and interesting is a smaller tree to the right. It is a bit hard to see in the photo but it is to the far right in the upper left photo – smaller, but same reddish-brown bark. I say that this is a husband and wife pair – the long married couple standing side-by-side against all nature has to throw at them. And they are gatekeepers – there is a game trail that passes right between them.
Bob Love, Confluence Timber, who logged the property estimates that the large tree is over 200 years old – maybe 250. That is incredible to me to think that this tree has lived through 4 or 5 generations of humans. Bob guesses that the only reason the tree was still standing, i.e. not cut for timber by someone – was that it was so close to the property boundaries that no one knew exactly whose it was. So… he belongs to no one…
There are 2 slash marks on the trunk at about my eye level. Bob says the marks are Grizzly marks – Grizzlies use the Ponderosa to mark their territory and warn other Griz off. I like to think that this place is “guarded” by a Griz and the trees…
Eye
The eye is fine – thanks to all who’ve asked! The patch was just for few hours post exam when my eye was so dilated that it was scary to look at and very sensitive to light.
This morning just before a morning walk…
Rainy day Monday
Rain – finally!! It has been cooler and fall-like but we really needed some rain to put a final end to fire season. Today’s rain will not put everything out but it is supposed to continue through the week and hopefully things will get damp enough to be rid of smoke for good. Skies have been mostly clear, but when a breeze kicks up, the sky gets hazy and smoke seeps into the valley.
The leaves are starting to turn, the sun is more southerly, no frost yet but we have been close a few nights.
As grumpy as everyone was during the heat and smoke – we are now kind of “over the top” happy. Everyone saying “What a beautiful day!” all over the place.
Let Fall begin!