Mosaic Monday #101: September Spotlight Redux

Whew.  You came back.  Without further ado, we'll pick up where we left off - the trail cam photos, deer specifically.

I love the next collage.  I know we should resist anthropomorphizing animals, but I do see a very tender look passing between the two fawns.  And the doe seems to be barely tolerating this late-season feeding session with her fawn.  Then we have two different bucks.  If you examine the left-hand photo closely, you can see the fine layer of velvet on the antlers.  Wow.  The one on the right has no velvet and appears to have more points, and these photos were only one day apart.  Fascinating.

And there's more.  I originally put the trail cam here in the hopes of capturing the beaver in action.  Early in the month, I got a shot or two, but since then the beaver engineering team has been distracted dealing with the dam (see post here).  But I got quite a few surprises, which more than made up for it.  

Montana is home to three species of weasels: short-tailed, long-tailed and the least weasel.  The least weasel does not have a black tip on its tail.  All of the weasels turn white in the winter; the short and long-tailed retain the black tips on their tails!  This is the first time I have captured a weasel on my trail cam;  I once retrieved a photo of a weasel in the winter on my neighbor's trail cam - do you remember this post?  I was also thrilled to see the muskrats; another first!  Until this photo (and quite a few others of 1 - 2 muskrats), I didn't even realize we had muskrats in our lake!

This month, we've seen a herd of elk on the hill opposite us.  A dozen strong, shepherded by a bull elk, it is a majestic sight.  Occasionally, when I have been outside in the early evening, the unique bugle call of the bull comes to my ears.  I was pleased to get the bull (at least partial shots) on my trail cam, as you can see above.   Thank goodness for the reflection - you get to see much more of him!!!

Now, sometimes people don't like surprises, and there was one set of trail cam photos that fall into that category - the orange tabby feral cat.  Another first on my trail cam, and not a happy sight.   Now, before the cat lovers get upset with me - you know I adore furbabies, but I am not enamored with the impact that cats have on our domestic birds.  One to four billion (that's B for billion) birds per year fall to the ninja talons of cats that roam outdoors.  And that's not to mention small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.  I am grateful that this is the only time I have ever seen it on my trail cam.

As I look out the window at the gray, scudding clouds, and watch the wind carry off the last of the aspen leaves, the memory of kayaking on a nearby lake seems a lifetime ago.  This particular lake is known for large pike, and #1 Son wanted to try his hand at hooking one.  I have also regularly seen kingfishers at this lake, and # 1 Son was eager to glimpse one as well.  So, off we went.

The lake was a sheet of glass, and the clouds joined the sun to form fancy reflections. 

Unfortunately, the pike did not cooperate - not a single one went for the flies that night - and the one kingfisher we spotted flew into the trees, beyond the view of our binoculars.  We had to "settle" for one beaver and  pretty panoramas!

Although the clouds have become more prevalent toward the end of the month, they have rarely dropped any precipitation.   One evening, I was out for one of my "stress-reduction" strolls.  I could have taken a million photos of the gathering clouds, reflected in the lake at the bottom of the property.

Imagine my surprise when the heavens opened.  I laughed out loud with the sheer joy of feeling the water on my skin, and I envisioned all of the plants and other living things, turning toward it with relief.   I headed home in the slanting rain, and just before I shucked off my boots and put my hand on the door handle, I turned for a final look.  A rainbow arced through the clouds.  The middle was hidden, but the ends were undimmed, seeming to touch the ends of the earth in my view.   A fitting end to the month, a promise of rain to come, a reward for patience through the drought.  What a blessing.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #70: Follow your Yellow Brick Road

Coffee and Cinnamon Bun

At the house of Dear Neighbor Friend

It was a struggle to compose this post, and even as I type these words, I am not sure the post will ever see the light of day.  The melee began when I decided to write about the third anniversary of my retirement, March 3.  In typical Angie fashion, I reviewed past posts on this topic (Week One, Week Three, Week Five, Week Twelve, Week Nineteen, Week Forty-One, Week Fifty-Two, Week One Hundred and Five). Part search for inspiration, and partly sprung from a desire to avoid repetition.

Visions of a Pulitzer Prize, or a National Geographic Photography Award, danced in my head as I scanned those posts.  From the distance of 24 months, I especially admired the post Bountifully Blessed from Week 52.  Insightful and spot on, and complete with resolutions for the rest of retirement.  And herein lies the rub.  Looking in the mirror, I know that I did not follow through on my good intentions as written in that post.  I have not succeeded in letting go of perfection and structure, and, despite my desire to enjoy more time crafting, these activities continue to get deferred because I have jumped head-first into volunteering, working and many other activities, which I give priority.  

Hand-drawn Valentine's Day card for Spousal Unit - I would like to have
more time to draw!

At this point, you are probably ready to click off this post to something more fun. You're probably thinking "Angie needs to get out of her own head," and you would probably be right.  Heck, several times my fingers have hovered over the "DELETE" key; wouldn't it be easier to write a typical light-hearted summary of February, and pitch it as "a month in the life of the retired Angie"?

Valentine's card and candy from Spousal Unit

But once I get an idea in my head, it's hard to get it out without some cathartic moment, some resolution.  How can I let myself off the hook without some introspection? So if you want to find some relief with Adorable Baby Animal pictures, I will understand.  The rest of you can stick with me and find out if the post makes it past a draft!!!

OK.  (You're still here?  GREAT!)  I think my fundamental challenge is the number of hours in the day.  Does anyone know how to double them?   Nope?  Sigh.  OK.  So the only solution is to decide what has to give.  Activities with Spousal Unit?  Blogging?  Cleaning the house? Community involvement? Time with Dear Neighbor Friend? Showering?  Working on the mountain?

And with Spring, new priorities will be added onto the list.  Gardening.  Travel.  Drinking wine on the deck.  What's a woman to do?

Cactus at the coffee shop

Earlier this week, in the midst of my brain-swirl, I posed this question to Spousal Unit: "Is there anything you thought we would do in the first three years of retirement that we haven't done?"  My friends, don't ask a question if you're not ready to hear the answer!  He said "Well, I thought we would have more down-time, like more movie nights or times that we cook dinner together."  Ouch.  It was a Wizard of Oz moment - Dorothy always knew there was no place like home, but she just needed to be reminded!  

If I am honest with myself, I recognize that I have developed some retirement habits that mean most evenings are committed to my activities (other than crafting).  Mind you, Spousal Unit is not sitting around twiddling his thumbs - he reads voraciously, loves watching the Lakers (read: LeBron) play basketball, and he has his favorite TV programs, all while cuddling with Maggie the cat. I should also mention that at no point during this conversation did Spousal Unit make me feel guilty about any of this.  In fact, he said that he supports me in all my activities as long as it makes me happy. But, even before this conversation, it has occurred to me more than a few times that going into our two separate worlds at night is not altogether satisfactory.

Swan River, February 20, 2020

Chicken Fiesta Bowl

Craggy Range Bar & Grill

So, I will be making some changes.  I have made some commitments that will wrap up mid-June, and I will follow through on them because it's the right thing to do.  But then I plan to make some significant cut-backs on my community involvement.  After all, no one wants me to stop showering!

It begs the question - what will I START/CONTINUE doing?  Movie nights and cooking dates with the Spousal Unit, for sure.  Personally, I have enjoyed our "wandering aimlessly" tours around Montana, and I want to do more.  Outings with Dear Neighbor Friend are essential.  Wine on the deck? you betcha.

(In February, Spousal Unit and I took our visitor Tim to the iconic Bar Stool Races in Martin City, part of the 42nd annual Cabin Fever Days.  It is just this type of unique Americana that I love to discover and experience.  Check out these videos.)

(When Dear Neighbor Friend and I go cross-country skiing, we are always accompanied by Sophie.  This enchanting dog hides pieces of deer fur under the snow, and when we reach that part of the trail, she retrieves the fur and joyfully tosses it into the air.  Check out this snippet of video - her playfulness is a message to us all!)

I am also really impassioned about an initiative called the Violet Protest.  I first read about it on someone's blog, but I have had a devil of a time tracing back to who it was - whoever you are, thank you!  For anyone in the US, check out the website link above.  "The Violet Protest is a public effort to send 50 hand-made ​textile squares to each and every member of Congress ​in support of core American values. Whether we knit, crochet, quilt, or embroider all 26,750 of these squares — through this social action, and from every corner of America; we as makers of all political persuasions, believe we can employ our willing spirit and our talents to contribute to healing divisions that threaten our country.  This collection of textile squares will be first displayed at Phoenix Art Museum, Fall 2020."

Now that's a CRAFTY cause worthy of my time!

As provocative as this week has been, pondering the relative value of showering versus time with Spousal Unit, I am glad it happened.  Even in retirement, it is possible to get into ruts and routines so deep that we can't see out.  It didn't take Dorothy's tornado to shake me free, but I did have to peek behind the Wizard's curtain.  If you have been my lion, my scarecrow and my tin man, sticking with me throughout this post, I thank you.  I think I am ready to see what the next year of retirement brings, following my Yellow Brick Road!  

 

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #57: November Notions

Notion: An impulse or desire, especially one of a whimsical kind

Notions (North American): Items used in sewing, such as buttons, pins and hooks

The fire is roaring, and Pentatonix Holiday Radio is playing on Pandora.  All is right in my little corner of the world, and I am in a whimsical mood.  Seems to me an ideal time to re-cap some fanciful moments from November.

How do you feel when you return home from a lengthy getaway?  Hungry because there's nothing in the fridge?  Forlorn because no-one has acknowledged your return?  Nothing could have been further from the truth when we arrived home from our UK/Germany trip at the beginning of November.  My dear neighbor friend had chicken soup and cornbread waiting so we would have dinner on our first night.  We were hooked.

I am not sure which was more heart-warming - the food or the hand-made cards from her grandkids.  They pressed all the right buttons with this welcome!

(internet)

I haven't been doing much cooking of late, but I had the impulse in November to concoct something with pumpkin.  And if it would be suitable for breakfast in bed for my dear Spousal Unit, all the better.  Voila!  Pumpkin spice waffles! This was so simple to make - two mixing bowls and a waffle maker and you are good to go.  Imagine my delight when Spousal Unit (a.k.a Head Chef) gave it his stamp of approval!

Do you like classic books?  My dear neighbor friend recently made a trip to Tennessee, and during her visit picked up a number of books from a sale at the county library.  Two "oldies but goodies" here.  I took the picture in part so that I could remember to ask her for the books in the future - I have an inkling that I will like the  books about Lincoln and pioneers.  I have always been fascinated about both topics, and it is yet another discovery of interests we share. 

Christmas is fast approaching, and stitching on my felt ornaments has continued at a steady pace.  Which one do you like best?  I must admit to being partial to the dapper snowmen with the top hats!

My Mom has also been busy with her crochet hook.  During our visit to Ohio, I was thrilled to see some new crochet masterpieces while at her house.  I am in love with the ballerina giraffe!

Spousal Unit and I treated Mom to lunch at Carrabba's, and Mom and I admired their holiday village, prompting Mom to recall a winter scene that her mother used to display.  Ah, memories!  Do you have a passion for such displays?

In the top photo, I love the water tower made into a snowman!

Frequent readers may be wondering if I am still monitoring my trail cam, and the answer would be yes.  Then why no pix lately?  Well, it's been deer, deer and more deer, and mostly at a distance.  No coyotes, or turkeys or bears.  But even deer can be adorable, in the right setting.  I fancy the light in this picture - you can even see a sheen of moisture on that perky little nose.

This young lady clearly had the notion to get up close and personal with the camera!

As we close this chapter on November 2019, it is my sincere desire that Advent is giving you the time to reflect on the reason for the season and to share it with others.  Go tell it on the mountain!  

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #18 - Deep Freeze February

Northwest Montana just wrapped up the coldest February on record since 1936.  What does one do when the temperature peaks at less than 15 degrees Fahrenheit?  Add an extra layer or two, folks, and get on out there.  Even my oldest sister saw fit to visit us from Cincinnati during the month.  Check out these adventures in the great white, frigid north.

ONE: CARVING UP THE MOUNTAIN

Skiing and snowboarding on Big Mountain is a weekly event, especially given our roles as Ambassadors for Whitefish Mountain Resort.  On one of my workdays, we took my sister to the 'office'.  Visitors can buy a walk-on pass for $24 and ride Chair 1 to the Summit.  Unfortunately, on that day, visibility was poor.

On a clear day, the mountains of Glacier National Park

would be in the background

At least she got a sense of our responsibilities as Ambassadors, and observed our operating environment first hand.  She worked her cross-stitch and chatted with skiers stopping into Summit House for a warmer-upper.  In the photo to the right, the temperature on the sign is unclear, but I recall it was minus 4 degrees at the time of that photo.

TWO: SNOW SHOEING

We thought we might take my sister to Glacier National Park to see the contrast between summer and winter (she had previously visited the Park in August 2017).  So, in preparation for her visit, we did some reconnaissance.  At this time of year, the Going to the Sun Road is plowed only as far as Lake McDonald lodge. 

Beyond that point,  cross-country skiers as well as snow-shoers can peacefully traverse a road that is bumper to bumper with traffic in the summer.  On the day of our investigation, everyone was using the same trail, when protocol calls for snow-shoers and hikers to be in a separate track from the skiers.

So Spousal Unit and I performed a little bit of community service by breaking trail for 2.5 miles.  It was quite the workout so we took turns at the lead.  It was amazing how much easier it is when following someone, and even more so on the return journey.  It was gratifying to see other snow-shoers using our trail as we re-traced our steps.  








After some consultation with my sister, we decided to limit our snow-shoeing to a trek around our property.

THREE: HIBERNATING

Middle left: Josie helps my sister with her Monsters quilt

My sister's stated goal for her trip was to hibernate, so we worked hard (!) to make that happen.








Hibernating is easier when you have Spousal Unit for your chef - no need to go out to a gourmet restaurant when these dishes are on offer.

Top: spaghetti with Brussel sprouts

Left: Chicken tortellini and home-made focaccia

Right: Goetta and eggs

We did take a couple of walks on the roads of our neighborhood, and I couldn't resist the temptation to snap the shot below of the entrance to our neighborhood.  The sign actually reads North Hodge Creek Reserve!!!

We also introduced my sister to a couple of "institutions" around here - Moose's and the Montana Club.  She marveled at the Bloody Mary at the Montana Club; the one she was served upon returning home was "no comparison".  I told her she would just have to come back!

Moose's

Left and middle: Montana Club; Right: back in Ohio

FOUR: VIEWING WILDLIFE

No monthly summary is complete without a list of wildlife that we have witnessed.  Although deer, and trail cam photos of them, are ubiquitous, what makes the photos more interesting at this time of year is the depth of the snow, or catching them plodding through a snowstorm.

I am currently monitoring three trail cams, two of which belong to a future neighbor. In photos taken on February 3, I observed two coyotes that were captured on my trail cam at 3.14 pm, and then on my neighbor's trail cam at 3.30.  I am sure it is the same two.  What do you think?

Of special note this month is our ongoing "battle" with Mr. Bunny.  Earlier in the winter, we placed chicken wire around our burning bushes because I could see from tracks in the snow, as well as nibble marks on the shrubs, that Mr. Bunny had taken a liking to them.

A week ago, I noticed tracks and bunny kaka INSIDE the chicken wire - the snow is now deep enough to enable him to jump over the wire.  Argh.  So, we determined to pull the wire cages up higher.  As I rounded the front porch, heading for the last cage, there he was, inside it.  He jumped out and bounded onto the porch, WITH A BRANCH OF THE BURNING BUSH IN HIS MOUTH.  The cheek - he sat there and munched it as I went about adjusting that cage!

Left: track to Mr. Bunny's den           Middle: branch broken off bush by Mr. Bunny  

Right: Mr. Bunny in front of his den

Thwarted, he has now turned his attention to my dried arrangement on the front porch.  Did you know rabbits would eat pine and juniper?  I didn't.  When I got home yesterday, he was basking in the sun where the porch joins the house.  Maybe this was his way of thumbing his nose at me?  He didn't give a lick that I was taking pictures ...

FIVE: DOG SLEDDING

Knowing what I know now, I wish we had taken my sister dog sledding … but it means she has at least one reason to return in winter!  Dog Sled Adventures Montana is a family-friendly operation, with Alaskan sled dogs that are just hankering to pull you through 12 miles of winter wonderland.  The mushers choose from nearly 130 Alaskan huskies to staff the 10 spots on each sled (each dog only does one run a day; most days the sleds go out at 10 am, 1 pm and 3.30 pm).  As you can see and hear in the video below, the dogs are all ASKING to be chosen.

But once the sleds took off, the dogs in the yard all fell silent.  The next video is just a small slice of our ride - when we weren't talking to Hannah, our driver, the only sound was the swish of the sled through the snow and her commands to the dogs.  Lightly falling snowflakes added to the romance of the experience.  We were astonished by the energy and stamina of the dogs, not to mention their personalities - that entertainment alone was worth the price of admission!  

I suppose I can put up with the deep freeze if it means making memories like these.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter