Wednesday, July 25, 2018

July Hijinks

Summer - just the word evokes deep memories - devouring still-warm tomatoes from our garden, juice running down my chin; the enticing aroma of hot dogs on the grill; dashing through the sprinkler in the back yard, with bits of cut grass stuck between my toes.
Sunset on Whitefish Lake - July 4, 2018

I may be a bit older now, but I still love the traditions of summer, and the boundless opportunities it offers to be outside in Nature's glory.  Here are some warm-weather highlights from July.

ONE: PET-SITTING
Everybody takes at least a short vacation or summer trip, and so I was delighted to accept my neighbor's request to look after her cat while they went to California for a family wedding.  Isn't Katniss just a darling?

TWO: PIE-MAKING
It may seem a bit late in the season for rhubarb, but I had a hankering that would not be denied.  Early in the month, we visited a local farmer's market, and I was thrilled to find one stall with massive bunches of rhubarb.  Result: two mouth-watering pies.  Here is a link to the recipe.

THREE: STITCHING
The slower pace of summer (sangria on the porch, anyone?) lends itself to naps wrapping up projects. I am delighted to report that my tea towel project is complete!

FOUR: GROWING THINGS
No, not me - God and Mother Nature.  My role is simply to capture the beauty, and there sure is plenty of that to go around …
Upper left: Pinedrops; Upper center: Bee balm; Upper right: Death Camas
Bottom: Petunias

From Left: Bog Orchid; Lupines and Blanket Flower near Many Glacier; Beargrass; Sticky Geranium 

Very creative lollipop gift from a neighbor
FIVE: ENJOYING FAMILY AND FRIENDS
We have been blessed this month to host my in-laws from the UK, as well as my youngest brother and his wife.  And we held two large parties at the house - one to honor all those who made our log home dream real, and one for Spousal Unit's 50th birthday.  Yep, we made a few new memories this month!!
Upper Left: Swiftcurrent Lake; Bottom: Hidden Lake; Both in Glacier National Park
Swiftcurrent Lake at Many Glacier, Glacier National Park
Upper right: my in-laws marveled at the size of  "2 scoops"
Middle right: Hand-made gift from a neighbor
Lower right: Bird seed house gift from in-laws
Left: Mountain near Many Glacier

And now I am writing this from the UK, where we are visiting my in-laws in advance of the wedding of Spousal Unit's only cousin.  Despite the many years of summer holidays here, we can still find new places to experience.

Top and bottom: Royal Border Bridge in Berwick-on-Tweed, completed in 1850
Middle: Millennium Window - Church of the Holy Trinity

Walking the Coastal Path near Berwick-on-Tweed
Quarry Garden at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens; in ravines cut out of rock, a micro-climate allows for many
unique plants to flourish; this garden is one of only two quarry gardens in the UK
BONUS: 
And just in case you have been longing for some new trail cam photos, here is the best of the bunch from July: a cow elk with a baby at her side.  Now THAT'S a new summer memory to be treasured.  What is your favorite summer memory?


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50 comments:

  1. You've had a very full month and you've captured it beautifully in your photos. I especially love all those outdoor shots. You live in a very beautiful part of the world. I hope you enjoy the rest of the Summer just as much as July :)

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  2. Hi Angie,
    What a wealth of photos you share today! That last one of the cow elk and baby is just so cool! Sangria - that reminds me - we went to a restaurant that was advertising them. They didn't even have any fruit floating around in the glass or anything - just wine. That was SO wrong! Congrats on the tea towels finish. Happy Thursday! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  3. Hello, lovely series of photos. Your pie looks delicious. Sangria is great too. I love the beautiful views of Glacier and the flowers. The elk and baby are adorable. Have fun in England. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

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  4. Ahh, what great summer experiences you are having. Love your tea towels! How very sweet to share your new home with your family from afar and now you are back in England. Sweet! Thank you for your comments on my blog about our move and dear old pop's funeral. I appreciate your thoughts. I'm looking forward to being settled in our new home that we haven't found yet. :) I'm also looking forward to having the time to blog and visit blogs again. Cheers!

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  5. Wonderful moments captured forever. I'm wondering why the butterflies are on dirt? Hope you have a fabulous time in the Uk and be sure and take lots of photos!

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  6. your tea towels are just lovely, it's nice to see people are still doing needle work. as you know, i knit and people always tell me it is a dying art...i'm happy to report, it isn't!!

    beautiful summer blooms and 2 scoops of ice cream = 4 during the summer. it is the same around here!!

    you have some really nice summer memories!!!

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  7. Well you have been busy Angie. Cat-sitting, Sangria, Berwick-on-Tweed and Swiftcurrent Lake is a very worldly mix. I do love rhubarb but as you know the season here is quite short and unless you have a friendly rhubarb growing neighbour, it is very expensive. Second best is Bramleys and very soon we shall have some from the garden for that crumble. Shame about the bins but I'll let you off because of those pictures.

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  8. First off, congrats on your hubby's 50th! I love all the photos of Glacier (of course!) and am glad you are having a wonderful time in the UK. This is what summer and retirement is all about! :) Take care, Kit

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  9. Beautiful images Angie, I love the ones of the lake, superb.

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  10. Beautiful series of photos ~ lovely kitty ~ and hope you are enjoying your trip!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  11. All fun stuff. I especially like Katniss.

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  12. Beautiful photos from July. The lake looks like a great place to spend time. I love the elk and her baby doing a walk by. Thanks for sharing your month with us.
    Enjoy the day!

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  13. Angie, your mountain and lake shots have me wanting to be out in the wilderness. I'm amazed that the geraniums grow wildly in Montana. I'm so used to seeing them grow wildly in pots and plots in the yard.

    Your tea towels are so cute and delightful. What's next with the stitching? I keep thinking I'll go do some sewing since it's too hot to go outside. Ha! Oh, and your pies, yummmmmm. I've been wanting a slice of pie lately. Even bought butter the other day for crust. My excuse: Too hot to bake, of course.

    Bicycle riding, catching butterflies with my hands, running through sprinklers, and waiting for shooting stars to appear. That was summer!

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  14. It looks like you enjoy wonderful summer activities. I hope you are happy in Montana. I have lived here 12 years and love it!

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  15. Your July sounds wonderful with lots going on.
    What a treat to see the elk and her baby!
    Enjoy the rest of your UK trip. Such a pretty place. I loved it there.

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  16. A beautiful summery post with beautiful photos of far and near. The stitchery is so sweet. Say hello Katniss from me when you see her next time, what a darling. What a sweet elk baby. Such an exciting life! Enjoy!
    Thanks so much for linking up on Wandering Camera.

    -Soma

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  17. What an all encompassing post. Katniss looks like an even tempered cat. Our kitten Lizzie took two days to come out of hiding before coming out with our cat sitter on our vacation.

    It looks like you are having a grand summer.

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  18. Looks like you are having a wonderful busy summer. So many beautiful photos. Summer to me is the smell fresh cut grass and being at the beach...fish and chips on the beach 😆😆

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  19. God and Mother Nature are showing off in your beautiful neck of the woods aren't they. =) You have had a packed-filled month filled with beauty, good times and gorgeous stitching....amongst other things. It is always delightful to visit your beautiful part of the world. Thank you for sharing it's beauty with your words and gorgeous photos.

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  20. I really enjoyed reading about your July. It sounds like it has been a happy and busy one. Great to see your trail camera is still capturing what is happening down in the woods. My son would like to get one for their block where kangaroos and possums visit. Enjoy your trip to the UK. And thank you for visiting my blog this week.

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  21. ...I'm trying to soak up all the summer that I can.
    ...pretty kitty.
    ...looks good to me.
    ...I'll pass on the sangria.
    ...my 50th was a long time ago.
    ...have fun!
    ...I'd love to see a moose.
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  22. What a joyful July! I would like to see a baby elk.
    Keep enjoying your summer.

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  23. I'd love to accept our invitation for sangria. One of my refreshing libations! Needless to say you photos are, as always, just gorgeous and inviting! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  24. What a marvellous post!cI feel like I have been travelling.
    Your tea towels are sweet. And O the wildflowers.
    Montana is so beautiful!
    Enjoy your visit UK visit.

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  25. This post is delightful. The kitty is adorable and those pies look fabulous.

    Thanks for linking up to Feline Friday.

    Have a purrfect day and weekend. ♥

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  26. Both your childhood summer memories and your visions of adult summers were just wonderful! Gorgeous photographs too. Amazing views in your holiday travels! Happy 50th to your hubby also.

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  27. Love the sunset over the lake opening shot, and I could look at photos of Glacier NP all day. So beautiful!!

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  28. What fabulous photos! Yum! Pie!! Those are lovely flowers and cute Dutch girls. You are busy.

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  29. Hello, you have been busy, lovely photos and I enjoyed all the critters. Cute kitty, pretty butterflies and the Elk with it's young is adorable.
    Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thanks for the visit and comment.

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  30. Wow! To all of the photos! You are living the life!

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  31. Yes, summer is wonderful. And so is winter :)

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  32. Wow! What phenomal views you have seen! and so glad you had time to enjoy friends and family - that 50 sucks is hilarious!

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  33. Hi Angie wow what a wonderful post,love your pics they are amazing ,what wonderful places you have seen,i love the pic of the Elk we dont have deer here in Australia,thankyou for sharing your beautiful pics xx

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  34. So many beautiful photos from your home and from your travels. That elk photo was a treasure to capture! Your embroidery stitching looks so perfect. I wanted to thank you for visiting my blog, but I couldn't respond to you by email because you are a no-reply blogger. You had asked what happened to my "model" and I wanted you to know he sailed through the air far, far away thanks to my hubby. They are so gross, but I got lucky capturing that up-close phot0.

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  35. Katniss is a lovely kitty. A great capture with the trail cam of mama and baby cow elk. I don't think you could ever run out of historical and characterful sites to visit in the UK. Seems it has a whole lot to offer. Congrats on finishing the teatowels. Yes to Sangria! :) Cheers!

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  36. Such a lot of wonderful experiences and new memories made so far this month. I always enjoy seeing the beautiful area where you live and of course your photographs of UK always make me hanker for home. Love the look of your homemade rhubarb pie my Mum used to decorate her pies in just the same way.
    Looking forward to hearing more stories from the UK visit,
    Happy Mosaic Monday.

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  37. My goodness! You are busy! Beautiful images of precious summer experiences. I giggled at the 50 suckers -- too clever! I love embroidery - your tea towels are wonderful. Have a fun week!

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  38. You have been busy and productive. I love the tea towel embroideries. Congrats to your husband on his 50th birthday year. Summer is a time for visiting and travels - your photos of the bridge arches are lovely. I looked up Berwick on Tweed to see where you are - the northernmost town in England, according to Google maps. Enjoy your time there.

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  39. Bet that lovely cat is grateful YOU are in her life.

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  40. I saw Tom's list and want to copy it...well, except that I'd like to have a Sangria! Love seeing the snow! So amazing! And the beautiful photos of the nature you see. Enjoy your week! Keep that camera handy...as always!

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  41. whew! That's a lot of comments! Great likes this week, beautiful pics as always. The cat is adorable, the shots of England gorgeous, the sangria very inviting. Why 50 is still a baby!

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  42. I'm glad you have had many visitors this summer to enjoy your new home and state. Your rhubarb pie looks delicious and that cat is adorable--I miss having a kitty and enjoy my grandcat when I see her.

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  43. You are making fabulous memories!! Keep it up (as if I have to remind you!)...... and thank you for sharing. Loved every picture and every adventure, well except for the '50 sucks' bit .... I have kids older than you, so I absolutely refuse to let anyone call 50 old!! ))) (I know it was meant in fun and I used to think that too!)

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  44. Katniss is stunning and so are your beautiful photos!

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  45. Gorgeous photos!Katniss is adorable.

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  46. Your nature pictures are stunning!

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  47. We have friends coming for lunch and you have given me the great idea of making a pitcher of sangria to have on the patio with a little cheese and fresh baguette, before doing some serious chowing down!

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  48. What a lovely time of year with visits from loved ones and mother nature to enjoy....Michelle

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  49. I have been to it's neighbors, but never Norway. It is on my list of places to visit. Lucky you!

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