Mosaic Monday #192: Summer Farewell

My dear friends, this will be my last post as the host of Mosaic Monday, so it is fitting that I close this chapter with a final set of summer photos.

August featured no less than 3 backcountry camping trips.  Too many pictures for one post, but I can sure show you some highlights.

Our first trip, with an intended destination of Gray Wolf Lake, is a story in itself.  We fell short of our destination, and it rained while we gobbled our dinner, and for most of the night.

Rain is such a unique event during the summer in Montana that we were a bit surprised by this rainstorm.  The thunder and lightning that accompanied the storm ignited one significant wildfire some 15 miles from where we camped for the night.  But I will never complain about rain in the summer, given the extreme drought conditions in the Mountain West!

Between two camping trips, we spent one night in a hotel situated midway from the trailheads.  We were a bit early to check in, so we stopped at a nearby eatery for a treat of coffee and ice cream.

The next day, we worked off that ice cream with more than 3,300 feet of elevation gain in 5 miles.  But this is the reward: Mollman Lake.

The day of these photos also happened to be our 31st anniversary.  I had drawn this card and brought it with me.

"Husband" is just a title every man can have.  But it takes a heart and life to live by it.  You have never failed to show me how much I mean to you.  Happy Anniversary!"

Can you believe we had this whole place to ourselves?  Priceless!!!!

Of course, you don't always have to go far from home to capture beauty.  The next two photos were taken on August 16, right in our own neighborhood as I came home from town one evening.

August brings the Northwest Montana Fair to the fairgrounds, complete with wall-to-wall 4-H competition, food you shouldn't eat and rides that light up the night sky.  I went two days to support the grandkids of my Dear Neighbor Friend, and trust me when I say the kids cleaned up in most of their events!  I continue to learn the finer points of showmanship, and the importance of udders and other body parts on goats, sheep and cattle!  On rodeo night, I worked the funnel cake booth for St. Matthew's Church - I think I can still feel the skim of frying fat on my skin, and smell funnel cake batter in my nostrils.  I took a little time to spin through the quilts/home-made crafts section - always inspiring.

 

In this post in December 2021, I wrote about discovering Spanish blackwork.  I was thrilled to see this example of it at the Fair!  (By the way, I have purchased a design utilizing blackwork, and I am anxious to get started on it!)

At the end of August, rolling over into September, a three-night backcountry camping trip in Glacier National Park checked all the boxes: wildlife, fishing, jagged mountains, glacier-blue lakes.  Let's take a look!

Video of waterfall along the trail.

Video of bighorn sheep ewe and young one.

Back at home, it was wildlife of a different sort and proportion that attracted my eye.  Check out this video of the largest bumblebee I have ever seen.

Grasshoppers pick on the Russian Sage, climbing its stalks and nibbling through the very peak, toppling the lovely, symmetrical flower pyramids.  In the process of hunting the grasshoppers, I spotted this precious little frog.  It is you, my dear, that I hear singing after the sun goes down. 

In early September, we were delighted to welcome my oldest brother and his wife, who flew their "Blue Eagle" plane from Morgan County, Utah, to Kalispell.

Over the five days of their visit, we kayaked on Lone Lake, hiked in Glacier National Park, and were treated to aerial touring in the Blue Eagle.  I was thrilled to provide a garden tour, and Head Chef kept us well fed as usual.  A lovely visit all around.

Flying over the landscapes we see every day, but flat-footed, is a gift.  Is that hill really that steep?  Does Ashley Creek wind in such a serpentine manner?  The area around Whitefish has many more lakes than I realized.  Do they have fish?

I love this video of Ashley Creek in Smith Valley.

The latter part of September has brought wildlife of every description.  One night, sitting in the great room, I imagined an owl calling.  Going out on the deck, I was thrilled to hear Barred Owls echoing each other.  One is a blessing; two or more feels like a miracle.

The cygnets that I featured in this post are growing up.  On September 17, they were swimming together, but without their parents.  And they came so close to me - no fear?

While I was at the lake's edge, Spousal Unit called me.  "Can you see the elk?  It's a mama and a baby, in the water."   I scouted the lake, with the binoculars and without.  Nothin'.  I worked my way north, and then I heard the splashing.  Mama saw me or sensed me first.  The best I got was the baby running away through the woods.

Meanwhile, our neighborhood black bear has been roaming, building up fat for the winter.  We have seen him at least once a week, and in one case, I saw him while running out in the woods ... I took the long way around that day!  These shots were taken as I came home from town one day - less than a half mile from our house.

Thistles are one of the many species that we combat for preservation of the native habitat, but before I cut the seeds off and put them in the trash, I momentarily admire their beauty.  In many ways, they represent the fleeting nature of summer.  Weightless. Perfectly designed for purpose.  Ephemeral.  Majestic simplicity.

And so, we bid farewell to summer and to Mosaic Monday.

*****

My dear Mosaic Monday friends: I am pleased to tell you that Heidrun @ Soul and Mind and so on will be taking over Mosaic Monday, starting next weekend.  She carries on the fine tradition established by our previous hosts – Mary @ Little Red House through August 4, 2014, Judith @ Lavender Cottage from August 10, 2014 through July 24, 2016, and Maggie @ Normandy Life from July 31, 2016 through October 29, 2018.  I hope that you will continue participating in Mosaic Monday – your posts through the years have inspired me more than you know!

Some of you have asked if I am leaving the blogosphere altogether; I will still be posting occasionally, and linking to Mosaic Monday as well as other link parties.  So, I will see you around, my friends!

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 #189: Trail Cam Treasures

We are so blessed to live on the edge of the wilderness, with all the wildlife that comes with it.  (Did you know they have a term for this?  Wildland-urban interface = a zone of transition between wilderness and land developed by human activity.  Unfortunately, the most common definition relates to increased wildfire frequency and risk.  As houses are near wildland vegetation, they are susceptible to wildfires.  I prefer to define it in terms of proximity to flora and fauna!)  So, let's cast our eyes over some of the critters that have wandered in range of my trail cam!

Elk on the move - same day as the Sandhill Crane - May 18.

Did this elk get lost?  May 29 - and look how much greener it is!

I have had many reports of the neighborhood black bear, and finally I got a shot - from the back, but better than none! (and the clock was off - this was 11 am)

A young buck in early June - he'll be searching out does pretty soon!

And this will be the result! (June 16)  This momma looks pretty skinny ...

I never cease to be amazed by the capability of the trail cam to capture motion, such as this Tree Swallow in flight on June 3.

Sandhill Cranes dance for three primary reasons:  To find a mate, to strengthen the bond between a mated pair, or to express aggression or territoriality.  Based on my experience with our Cranes over the last five years, I believe these two are "strengthening the bond" (June 4).  We could all learn from this, yes?

As you may have noticed from the photos thus far, the camera had been in two locations - the meadow you see above, and the road where I hoped to capture the bear (and I did.)  It was time to try another locale - the lake!  And it delivered in spades!

A parade of mallards.

Mallards with one Greater Yellowlegs (I welcome correction from any of the birders out there).

Three Greater Yellowlegs taking flight.

Great Blue Herons.  Jaw-dropping majestic creatures.

Speaking of majestic, check out the Trumpeter Swans and the 2 cygnets.  This is the first time (since we have lived here) that they have nested on the lake below our property.

I have written in the past (April 25, 2021; September 19, 2020) about the beaver who lives at the lake - we estimate the presence of nature's engineer has raised the water level by two feet.  I wonder sometimes how much of the wildlife we see now has been brought about because of the deeper water.

For priceless photos like the one below, I am grateful to God, the beaver, and the many factors that led us to Montana and this superlative piece of wilderness.

** I may be slow in commenting this week since we have family visiting.

**Also, Mosaic Monday will take a break on September 11 - come back and link up on September 18!

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 #150: Farewell, September!

And here we are; only three months of 2021 remain!  I was "playing" in my garden today, and I noticed the grasshoppers were moving slowly this morning.  The frosty overnight temperatures make them sluggish, and soon enough will bring on their demise.  Later in the day, I observed a massive ant hill while watering some aspens - the ants were almost frantic in their activity.  It brings to mind the fable of the Grasshopper and the Ant.  I have written about this before (September 1, 2017).  Do you feel an affinity for one or the other?

I suspect this Garter Snake, sunning itself on the gravel of the driveway on September 2, has since begun brumation (the reptile equivalent of hibernation).  These snakes will migrate long distances to brumate in large communal sites called hibernacula.

That same day, I approached the garage for my gardening gloves, and was greeted by this Red Squirrel on the step.  It held something in its paws, and appeared to be turning it over and eating it.  See the video below.

As it ran off, it left the "foodstuff" on the step - it was a rock!  One source on the Web claims this is how they sharpen their teeth!

Early in the month, I was also fascinated to witness this caterpillar crossing the driveway.  It was leathery in appearance.  Can anyone identify it?

After a fairly successful summer of protecting the garden from nibblers, suddenly two Cottontails began wreaking havoc in September.  Also, two young Whitetail Deer, without a mom to accompany them, seem to believe my Strawberry plants, Columbines and Sand Cherries are their personal buffet!  The motion-activated sprinklers don't seem to pick up their slow-moving, small forms.  Good thing it is the end of the season and I am not quite as manic about protecting everything!  

But I can still be seen dashing out of the house, whooping and hollering to chase them away!

Over the space of four weeks, most of the bushes put on their colored coats.  Below, the Golden Currant is in the transition.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant has been part of my garden since I discovered it growing naturally on our leach field the very first summer (see 9/13/2020 post).  In the picture below, a third of these plants were sown by me; the rest were the result of natural propagation from a specimen that grew here last summer!

Frosty mornings and cool evenings put me in the mood for soup.

Thanks to Jan at Low Carb Diabetic for this root vegetable soup recipe.  It was hearty and flavorful!

While snakes and many other creatures become less active with the advent of Autumn, bears eat and drink nearly nonstop.  They need to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation.  This process is called hyperphagia.  In our neighborhood, a small Black Bear has been seen quite frequently.

One evening, we were getting ready to have dinner on the deck, and I looked over the railing, only to see the little Black Bear gazing up at me.  He was no more than 25 feet from me!  He turned and ambled into the woods while I scrambled inside to get Spousal Unit and #1 Son.  By the time they came out, the bear was weaving in and out of the trees beyond the firepit.  Check out this video!!!

Did you know a group of turkeys is called a rafter?  On the way home from town the other day, I came upon at least 20 turkeys.  If I stayed a little longer, would all of them ended up perched on the fence?

I had the opportunity this month to make two hand-drawn birthday cards, one for a former work colleague in Arizona, and the other for one of my sisters.  I get a little thrill and considerable satisfaction from finding and executing these fun greeting cards!

I will eat anything with capers, so this recipe for Lemon Caper Pork Medallions caught my eye.  The boys in the house declared it a keeper.  And it was a straightforward and quick recipe, even for me!

It has been a good month, but I am still in a little bit of shock that October has arrived.  I am little sad to look out the window and realize that many of the aspens are already devoid of leaves.  Wouldn't it be nice sometimes if we could simply re-wind the clock? 

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