Happy in Montana

A surprise beauty this morning

Another glorious morning . People kick into high gear when it gets warm in this area. Lists of things to accomplish before the first snow flies.  June has been a prolific blooming month. This is a new iris to bloom this year. It was hiding the last two springs in the cozy house in the woods. 

A wild grass that flowers

 Nice creamy flowers that bloom from some sort of grass. I still need to look this up . A lot of folks might want to spray it and get rid of it but I look forward to this one's visit each spring.

wild grass before it unfurled

 It has been a week of heavy machinery and burn piles. My neighbors have horses and the patch of wild woods is transforming into pasture. Good for me as now I can see the Mountains better and it does help with fire mitigation to get rid of the scrubby packed grand fir. It was a mess before but now even Mr Mountain Lion can be seen sneaking up on us.

Neighbors hard at work

Stillness and other musings ....

Bee friend gathering wild Montana Rose pollen

A tribute to our bee friends who are struggling .Is it the cell towers,the high fructose syrup fed to the bees, the mono crops or the neonicotinoid pesticides we liberally sprinkle on everything? Whatever it is we as the human guardians need to get busy to find the cause and eliminate it. We will not do well with out our bee friend. As a small start I am planting my yard with a variety of bee tasty flowers emphasizing the native species. The Montana wild rose may not be much of a looker but this lucky bee had a giant ball of pollen gathered so they must like this wild flower.

Echo Lake sunset

After chores a quick trip to the lake for a walk at sunset. The air is gentle and the Osprey are calling out to each other .Ospreys are big birds if you have never seen one up close .  One bird parent stays in  the nest and the other bird parent fishes. I wish I was fast on the camera draw as one of the parents flew down to the lake surface and snagged a fish that was a least 18 inches long. The adult flew back to the nest holding the dinner in it's feet. The fish glistening in the setting sun. The osprey have a very definite call . Their conversation back and forth bring the lake alive along with other evening bird song. As we know a wise person once said that "birdsong sings life forward". In the stillness of the evening that feels true down to my toes.

Osprey Nest

 No flooding this year . The waters are still and not even close to breaching the causeway road as in years past. The snow pack was adequate but not excessive this year.

Reflections

Marsh at the North end of the Lake

 The north end of the lake eventually dries out leaving a marsh as Fall approaches. For now it is home to the water fowl with good nesting grounds.

In stillness we hear the voice of wisdom

 When you walk in nature are you at peace? Is your heart content? Do you have positive feelings about your life choices and the good you do with your hands ? If you can say yes to these questions then you know you are turning your footsteps towards the path that leads away from misery and towards enlightenment. The human soul makes choices every day ,all day long that either encourages or stunts the growth. There are a lot of deceptive distractions that can lead the soul to stagnation and then death. If you can be quiet inside and leave the clutter of the external world behind then you are well on your way to connecting with the ancient wisdom and light that is available to us as we travel this land.

Volunteer flower

 We are lucky to have 2 and 4 legged companions on our journey. When you look in the mirror and see as much compassion as this kind four legged carries in his heart you will be close to soul completeness. Many people think animals are not our equal . I for one beg to differ. Safe journey my fellow seekers. Protect yourselves and be aware. Look for the beauty in life, the stillness and peace around you , but be alert to those who might cause you to stumble. Love is the answer . Always..

The eyes of compassion

Just flowers

Purple and white iris with rainbow

Short and sweet . Late spring is full of flowers this year . After the winter slumber the earth gives us her gifts of floral beauty. It is worth the wait. Some area delights that can be found blooming this time of year !

Purple and white iris back lit with morning sun

Mystery bud

Lupinus Perinnus

Yellow Lilly

Quartet of Bear Grass

Bleeding Hearts

Wild flower along Bowman Creek wild geranium perhaps?

More Bowman Lake wild flowers

Rhododendron

Rhododendron buds

columbine up close

Purple iris bud

Purple iris unfurled

arnica

wild pansie

Lupine with a bee friend

Lupine

Columbine

Purple iris

Columbine

Purple and white iris bud

22 miles from Canada: Another Little Feet Adventure

 Twenty-two miles from Canada. Not too far from home but it certainly feels like it. I started out in the early afternoon driving to Glacier and exploring the Camas Road. There are a couple of ways to go to the North Fork area and Polebridge. A state road from Columbia Falls , The Camas road and the Inside North Fork Road. I believe the Inside Road is blocked off at a certain point due to weather. Most likely snow run off that has made the road impassable. The Camas Road is part paved and about half is dirt and gravel. Best to head up this stretch with a set of good tires. Heading north we drove through the remnants of the 2003 Roberts Fire. This was a man made fire that burned 3200 acres in the first 24 hours. It combined with the Wedge fire which was caused by lightning eventually burning over 100,000 acres. In the picture below you can see the burned trees still standing and the new growth under story about 4 to 5 feet tall after ten years of recovery. Among the new evergreens there is bear grass and huckleberry blooming .

McDonald Lake through the remains of the Roberts Fire

Bear Grass up close

McDonald Lake

 Ten years after the fire scarred the area, there is renewed habitat inviting new fauna and flora. Below looking East towards Glacier proper, the North Fork is full with winter melt and has the lovely green blue color from the rock flour carried down from the high mountains.

Glacier National park

 Thirty five miles later meandering through Northern Montana I arrive at Polebridge. This small area is well known for it's camping and outdoor experiences. It also has a nice bakery and saloon.

Hang a right

 Below is the bakery/Mercantile . It changed hands a few years ago and has a reputation for it's baked goods and some local jewelry. It is largest building with the saloon next door in a rustic one story building.

Polebridge Mercantile

 Two Miles north is a bridge that crosses the river. On the other side of the river is an entrance to the Park. The ranger station is not manned. There is a stop sign and message that invites those with a proper pass to move on through. A huge optimistic statement of the human race that the people without a park pass will turn around and return home.

We have been blessed with rain and the local flora is eye gouging gorgeous in the spring baby green . The roads inside the park on the way to Bowman Lake are basically one lane although you can squeeze two cars passing if you close your eyes and scream. 

 A view from the west side of the North Fork River, looking at bridge to the ranger's station. Bowman creek empties into the river slightly upstream.

North Fork of the Flathead River 2 miles North of Polebridge

 Bowman Creek below frolicking through the greening meadow. This is happy water . As the trip has progressed , the skies are clouding up. 6 more miles to go to Bowman Lake. I am hoping for possible rain but snow is not out of the question.

Bowman Creek

The unmanned Ranger station on the way to Bowman Lake

 Below the destination achieved. Bowman Lake in near black and white. The clouds have gathered and it is 5:30 PM  . The sun doesn't really set till after  9 PM however I am not sure I would want to be hanging out as it gets darker. The information board states that cats have been seen in the area and to keep young children close.

Bowman Lake

 A nice green marshy field before the Lake. It looks about 4 acres. I was hoping for a moose or something but probably too early for the dusky meal. The wetlands in the area are always a delight.

Marshy cove

Looking at the south shore of the lake

The forest is quite dense in places. It makes you wonder if keeping the windows down is a good idea. The trees are thick enough to hide Mr Griz. Other areas that have been burned are more open but have dense short growth that could also provide cover . 

 My partner in crime, the ever Coveted Marley is enjoying the lake below. He is my daughter's dog but has been hosteling with me while she is on the move. He is enjoying nature's finest pure water . It is still a bit chilly so I didn't have to chase him into the water after an unplanned swim. Maybe later in the season.

Marley

We took the outside North Fork Road home . A good 10 miles of gravel road but some fuzzy friends were hanging by the side for a nibble. Bouncing south on the gravel and dirt road towards Columbia Falls another satisfying day of hiking and sight seeing.