Surreal clouds at sunset

this is a real picture which has not been touched up or shopped. sunset tonight . I am certain that there is a UFO involved here.

Mountain Meets Skye Necklace included in the Artfire "For Men" collection

For the Men!

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A good nite !

A good nite is afoot. It has rained all day and before the sun is swallowed in the West it will pour it's gold upon us like lava spilling from the caldera.

6% ... the continuing travels of "little feet"

Come on little feet , time for an adventure.... It's a dreary day but we are going to see what is in the Park today !




Logan Creek


A quick stop at the Logan Creek Drainage, a cozy cabin in the woods ( probably for the Rangers ) and the tops of the mountains hidden in the clouds today. What is striking in how much loose rock is in this creek bed. It makes you wonder what goes on at the height of spring melt.


1967 Forest Fire area near the Loop



Climbing higher your pass the stark reminder of the 1967 forest fire. Bare trees still reminding us how slowly this environment recovers . Up up we go passing magnificent waterfalls that crash to the valley below.


Going to the Sun Road

Finally reaching Logan Pass at 6646 feet . The snow has already visited today on the tallest peaks. Close to the visitor center is the Highline trail . Don't be fooled ! This is Bear Country ! All around are wonderful vistas , wildflowers and wildlife that is hardy and in my mind brave to live in such a challenging environment.


Snowy peaks at Logan Pass


Highline Trail



Sunlight playing on the new snow


Marmot



Mountain Goat hiding


The wind is howling and I reluctantly turn my little feet in the direction of the trailhead as the clouds build. Good bye for now beautiful and wild alpine meadow.Good bye to the Mountain goat that thinks I can't see him . I wish you could smell the evergreens and watch the clouds swirl around the peaks 3000 feet above me. In the distance you hear the rhythmic chirp of the marmot calling to the rest of his clan. Back in the car heading down the 6 % grade the rock walls squeeze you on the right side and infinity leaps off the edge of the road on the left.



6% Grade


Once we descend from the mountain we are back in the valley where the lake shimmers in the late afternoon sun. Homeward bound after a day of reflection. Another little feet adventure comes to a close.



McDonald Lake


In Memory of Jill who left us too soon. "I hold your heart in my heart" for showing me the way to loving absolutely. You are my braveheart.



Budding Explorer's Gentian

Wordless Wednesday ......

The journey nears the end ....

Gorgeous wide valleys and winding rivers


July 22nd broke sunny and warm . No sign of the thrashing winds and rain from the night before. We said good bye to my daughter and headed up I 90 West. The fields were green and the roadside views of the Mountains beautiful . We were still mindful of our safety and speed. There was a work zone past the Bozeman exits in a canyon area so we had to go slow through this winding stretch.


Craggy rocks on the East side of the Continental Divide


Hours later we were at the Continental divide as it descended into Butte. I can only marvel at the driving skills of oldest son for making it up and down the grades with a heavy truck.

We zipped through Missoula and veered north on the last leg of our travels past the majestic Mission Mountains.







We headed into the Flathead valley and wound our way into the foothills. We were treated to deer and peaceful shallow lakes surrounded by pristine marsh lands.




Across the strip of road separating the lake from the marsh.



Finally rolling up the last few miles minutes before a thunderstorm. Thankful to be at our destination safely.

I digress ...

Waxing Nearly full moon in my new neighborhood. Is it really a neighborhood if cougar and bear live there too?



I digress. I hope you don't get the impression that all of a sudden I decided to move West. Rather this had been in the works ( on the back burner at least) for 12 years. Recently all the signs from the heavens showed that it was time to go. So I did a scouting mission last October. A trip on the Empire Builder with Amtrak and my mom. It went well for making connections ( I met my guardian angels Melissa and Nancy ) , fact finding and I was deleted from the will for being bossy by my mother. Then came months of continuing education and endless forms to get professional licenses in another state. Finally interviews started at the end of April and 15 planes later I was finally blessed with a job that suited my skills and was in the location I had been dreaming of . I would like to think the whole process was spur of the moment and I just loaded the dogs into the car. Hardly spontaneous but at least now a reality. So my first weekend with the moon rising in the East I had to be grateful for the many steps that had gone right in the process of bringing my life long dream to fruition.






A beautiful sunset from the window of the regional jet. High over the Chicago area we are treated to a gorgeous sunset as we ponder the small amount of airplane between the inside and the 40,000 feet to the ground outside. You guessed it . I am not that good at flying.