Life Springs Eternal

I look around, and signs of new life abound.  All of my senses are engaged.  The scent of pines, warmed by the sun, wafts on the wind.  The pre-historic, rattling bugle calls of a pair of Sandhill Cranes bounce between the hills, coming closer as they make their approach to the lake.  Soil, moist from the winter's recently-melted snow, yields easily to my trowel.  The yellow flowers of Oregon Grape, nestled in a fresh green basket of pine grass, catch my eye.  Newly unfurled aspen leaves twinkle and dance in the breeze.  Bees angle for space among the clusters of flowers on the apple trees.  I sit back on my haunches and soak it all in.  I am seized with wonder and joy at these seemingly every day miracles.

I have always been attuned to nature and its cycles, but my appreciation of the miracle of creation has deepened ever since we learned we will be grandparents at the end of September!!! 

On an April trip to Cincinnati to visit our daughter and son-in-law, they surprised us with the news - our first clue was this banner in the kitchen.  Upon hugging our daughter, the BUMP also made itself known!!!  

When our creative daughter posted the news on FaceBook, I adored this picture of the three pairs of wellies.  What some may not realize is that this photo was taken in the UK garden of my in-laws.  My parents are not here (physically) to witness the birth of another (34th) great-grandchild, and hence it is so meaningful to me that she planned for this in my second home, with the couple I have called Mom and Dad for over three decades.

The same night as the announcement, the happy parents-to-be presented Man With Hat with a new name - Granda - via a beer mug engraved with the name that has long been chosen.  And in my case?  I have long dithered about what to be called - how appropriate to be given a book with name options, and a gift certificate for a garden sign with the yet-to-be-selected moniker.

At first, I thought I would just let the baby give me a name, organically.  But then it occurred to me that I would eventually be "introduced" to the baby - I envisioned the hospital room, and our daughter saying "Baby, this is your ... "  Well, that just wasn't going to work, was it?  It took me two weeks to arrive at a name I really like - "Ya Ya" - it is an informal Spanish form of Grandmother.  Perfect!

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, the Bump is growing, and the nursery is being painted. Plans for the baby shower in August are progressing.  Anticipation is building. I might just have a tear or two in my eyes as I am typing.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two will become three - a miraculous event that is almost beyond our comprehension.  While I wait, I will gaze in joy upon the world just outside my windows.  I imagine the days when I can show a toddler the yellow flowers of Oregon Grape, nestled in a fresh green basket of pine grass.  We will raise our noses to the scent of pines, warmed by the sun.  Our hands will be dirty with soil, moist from the winter's recently-melted snow.  We will race to the lake, to watch the landing of Sandhill Cranes, their rattling bugle calls bouncing between the hills, coming closer as they make their approach.  The bees will buzz overhead in the apple blossoms, counting ... one, two, three, as high as we can go.  We will lie on the ground, watching the newly unfurled aspen leaves twinkle and dance in the breeze.  Yes, I will lie there and soak it all in.  Every day miracles.

***

I am linking to LeeAnna's I Like Thursday - prompt is "What does Memorial Day mean to you?  Are you participating in a party?"

We were in the UK on May 8, which was the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Victory in Europe, when Germany unconditionally surrendered its armed force at the "end" of WWII.  On TV, I watched the concert on the Horse Parade in London, which featured several videos of living military personnel and civilians, describing their experience.  It was extraordinary.  While I may not know many US military who have given their lives for a greater purpose, I can certainly honor and appreciate it, especially after watching such an impactful program.  

We did not participate in a party on Memorial Day - we enjoyed fajitas and margaritas at home.

Linking up with Eileen at Saturday's Critters

Linking to Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday #175: Five Years in Montana

Tomorrow, May 2, marks the fifth anniversary of our migration from Ohio to Montana.  Coincidently, tomorrow we will also be flying home from the UK to Montana, an apt parallel that marks the length of our journey since we first began dating in the Northeast of England in February 1990.  What an adventure it has been! 

I have written many posts about Montana, and trying to choose my favorites would be time-consuming and just more work than I am willing to do!  So, I am taking the easy way out, and highlighting (mostly) the posts that were published on dates closest to the May 2 anniversary.  (I might cheat now and then and throw in an extra post that represents a particularly important event in the last five years, but hey! whose blog is this anyway?)

Day 6 - Malta, Montana (5/2/2017)

With two cars, two cats and a parakeet, we had made it this far.  "Overnight we are in Malta, a town nestled along the Milk River (think chocolate milk), the railroad that runs from Chicago to Whitefish and beyond, and Highway 2, which will take us to Whitefish tomorrow."

"So, tomorrow, we will finish our emigration, and we are very excited.  To celebrate, we cracked open a bottle of Honey Jack, which we have been saving since last Memorial Day.  This wasn't just any bottle - it is one that was given to us by dear friends at that time, with a note that said 'Can only be opened in the state of Montana.'  Guys, it's open now!"

Day 7 - Whitefish, Montana (5/5/2017)

"Finally, we arrived at the town house, home for the next 9 months or so.  The menagerie was glad to unpack the cars (completely) and get settled in. At least, when we weren't too busy looking at the view from the master bedroom!"

Keep Calm and Carry On (3/22/2018)

"June 23, 2016, the day that two-thirds of our household possessions were packed and transferred to a United Van Lines warehouse near Cleveland, Ohio.  And on March 19, 2018, Billy, Eric and Levi delivered them to our new house near Kila, Montana." 

To Infinity and Beyond (4/21/2018)

"The nights here are quiet, with a velvet black sky littered with sparkling stars.  Fresh, crisp air enters your lungs with each deep breath you unconsciously draw, the body's natural reaction to the serenity and awe of standing underneath the mighty constellations.  An occasional sighing sound reaches your ears as the breeze rustles the pine boughs.  Another deep breath brings the scent of earth and living things.  No longer just the figment of my dreams, this is my new reality - as of April 14, our new log house is HOME!"

Graduate with Hat (5/3/2018)

"#1 Daughter (AKA Graduate with Hat) graduated from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) on April 28.  

"A whirlwind week with family and friends began quietly at my sister's house with a morning garden walk.  I used to claim Autumn as my favorite season, but these days I give my affection to Spring.  Pregnant buds giving birth to unblemished leaves.  Vibrant floral hues taking over from the gray of winter.  The promise of fruit hidden within the flowers.  All of it a fitting metaphor for the bright-eyed hope of spring commencement."

Dithering April (5/5/2019)

"The ski season ended with a cool vibe as Whitefish Mountain Resort hosted Employee Ski/Ride Day.  In keeping with the "fun" character of the resort, costumes were encouraged and each department adopted a theme to identify its employees.  In the case of the Mountain Ambassadors, everyone decked out in retro/60s gear.  We don't often get the opportunity to ski/board at the same time, so this was treasured team bonding."

We have been blessed to build a number of strong friendships in Montana; for Spousal Unit, many of them are fishing buddies drawn from the Ambassador group.  In my case, God led me to a soul sister just across the street - Dear Neighbor Friend.  Our journeys in life have been vastly different, but we share a deep love for God, and a profound appreciation of the outdoors and the flora and fauna that live within it.  I am so grateful to have this beautiful person in my world. 

In the five years we have lived in Montana, we have lost all of our feathered and furred traveling companions.  Tom the parakeet died while we were still living in Whitefish as our log home was being built.  Josie passed on September 20, 2019, and I celebrated her life in this post.  A year later, I paid tribute to Maggie in this post after her passing on September 21, 2020.  I am so glad that they made the journey to Montana with us.

A "Wait"-y Month (5/3/2020)

"#1 Son celebrated his birthday during the month, and on one our Skype calls he jokingly threw up a picture of a $800 Lego set of the Millennium Falcon, with “Birthday?” scrawled across it.  We couldn’t (and wouldn’t) get close to buying it for him, so I did the next best thing and stitched him up a Falcon.  This joined several other quirky items meant to create a mini-Grand Cayman care package – sun cream, mini bottles of rum, a sea shell, biryani recipe, cardamoms and bay leaves.  After all, it became very apparent as April marched on, that we would not be going to Grand Cayman to celebrate his college graduation.  This care package would have to do for now."  In the end, there was no graduation ceremony and no trip to Grand Cayman.  Glacier National Park cancelled all backcountry camping permits that summer, and the Alaska fishing trip for Man with Hat  was cancelled.  It was tempting to complain, but not in the face of thousands of people dying around the world from COVID.

Three Years in Montana (5/10/2020)

"Can you believe it?  May 3, 2020 marked the third anniversary of our arrival in Montana.  (If you need a refresher on our epic cross-country journey, check out this post.)  I perused my blog and came to the shocking realization that I have not written about this anniversary.  You can read posts about the first, second and third recurrence of my retirement, but you will find zip, zero, zilch about an event that was a decade in the planning. Well, I ask you - what's more significant, the retirement or the destination?  It's the destination, my friends.  So, I am about to rectify this disappointing oversight.  Buckle your seat belts, and welcome to Montana!"  This collection of 32 pictures and collages is a photographic diary and National Geographic magazine rolled into one.  Featuring some of my best photos from those three years, you can quickly experience hikes, Halloween fun in Whitefish, skiing, critters of all kinds, my garden and our house.  Here are just a few.

Since our arrival in Montana, we have been honored to host a number of guests, documented in the collages below.  Would you like to add your name and comments to our guest book?

Under the Weather (5/2/2021)

"I need a distraction.  I had my second COVID shot yesterday, and I am racked with chills, a headache and a tight feeling across my chest.  I have no appetite, much less a desire to write a blog post right now.  Also, it has been a tough week for other reasons that I am not prepared to write about at this moment.  But maybe focusing on something other than my symptoms would be beneficial.  This might be a short post, or maybe I will get a second wind."  I did recover, and this post recounts fun Spring activities such as visiting baby goats, coloring Easter eggs and celebrating the birthday of #1 Son.  Looking at this collage is especially poignant since I am typing this particular section on his 24th birthday!  As I have written in other posts, we relished a year of his living at home AND we are thrilled that he moved on to Idaho Falls after landing the job with the Idaho National Laboratory.

Keeping Her Memory Alive (5/9/2021)

"On April 28, 2021, my Mom joined my father, one of my sisters, a beloved niece and all of her siblings in Heaven.  If it is like any other family reunion I have attended, it would begin with Mass.  Faith was front and center for the German Catholic families on both sides, and especially for my Mom; you wouldn’t think to begin anything without having given thanks to God.  And THEN you could tuck into the bountiful buffet before you – home-made fried chicken, roast beef, chicken with noodles, potato salad, Jell-O with the requisite shredded carrots or cabbage, and desserts that seem to outnumber the stars in the sky."  It is hard to believe that 12 months have passed since her death.  I think of her often, and miss her terribly.  It is especially at family celebrations, or significant life events, that I wish she could be with us.  Such as ...

The Engagement (11/7/2021)

The engagement of #1 Daughter and The Boyfriend while the entire family was on vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  "Later, over dinner, The Boyfriend would recall the minutes leading up to his proposal.  His heart was about to pop out of his chest, while #1 Son and I leisurely read the historical information.  And I was shooting a picture of a bush, of all things, while he was trying to get me, the better photographer, to focus on what was about to happen.  Oh my!  And this is how wonderful family stories, ones that get handed down and told repeatedly, are made!"

The moral of the story?  The circle of life continues.  Children grow up, get married and move away.  World events can impact us in ways we can't possibly anticipate.  Parents and friends age, and some of them have made it to heaven before us.  At the least, we cope.  At the best, we adapt and thrive. On the fifth anniversary of "living our dream", I am reminded - don't become complacent.  I pray to God that I will be blessed enough in five years' time to give you another such report, chock full of new adventures!

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 #134: Montana Spring Hiking

Around our house, the snow has long since fed the roots of trees and plants, and the ice left the lake mid-April.  The sun caressing my arms and the green brightening the hillsides brings on the itch to go to the mountains and HIKE!  Of course, with three years of Montana hiking notched in our belts, we know that even in early June, snow can still be deep at higher elevations.   So, we consult my hiking journal, pore over our maps, and manage our expectations of what we may find!  In this post, I will feature photos from four hikes, all completed in May or early June, including our latest adventure on Thursday of this week.  Enjoy!

On June 7, 2018, we were joined by the couple who built our house.  It was a unique day because we racked up not one but TWO hikes.  The first, to Stanton Lake, is a short four miles out and back with minimal elevation gain.  The outstanding feature of this lake is the view of Great Northern Mountain at the west end.

As I noted in my journal - "lake was very calm - great for reflections."  The picture below was taken looking to the east, toward Glacier National Park.

I also wrote that "mosquitoes were troublesome when standing still", which may explain why there were no other photos from this hike!

Next, we went to Marion Lake, 6 miles out and back.  On the lower part of the trail, trillium, spring beauty, and stream violets were blooming.  

Further up, the ground was deep in snow; we estimated up to six feet based on the tree wells (the space around a tree under its branches that does not get the same amount of snow as the surrounding open space). Although the trail was undiscernible, we made our way successfully to the lake because we had hiked this trail before in October 2017!   Only the outlet to the lake flowed free of ice.

On May 17, 2021, Spousal Unit and I repeated the Stanton Lake hike - we knew the lake would be open so that he could fish.  I brought reading material and a fold-up camp chair - we both would be happy!!!  And there were no mosquitoes.  Maybe I had more time to take photos - hence more flowers - or maybe timing our hike three weeks earlier meant these flowers were in bloom.  Whatever - I was thrilled to see my absolute favorite plant - the Fairy Slipper (Calypso) Orchid!

And the reflections were still as good!

On May 23, 2019, we explored a trio of lakes.  This is now one of my favorite places to go for a getaway; three unique lakes in 5 miles with only 1200 feet of elevation gain (in fact, I wrote about another visit to these lakes on October 1, 2020 in this post).  As you will see, the lakes are free of ice and snow early in the season, and Finger Lake in particular has good fishing, too!  Many flowers were in full bloom.  What more could a couple want?  

Finger Lake has a dramatic rocky outcropping which makes a great snack spot/overlook.  Serviceberry was prolific.

The trail to Hole in the Wall, the third lake, leads through a marshy area, and thankfully a log boardwalk was built in 2015 to get over it with dry feet.  As you approach, you can detect a skunk aroma emanating from the abundant skunk cabbage in the marsh.  

And now to our latest hiking adventure, Bramlet Lake in the Cabinet Mountains!  Yes, there was snow, and maybe a little bit of ice.  And maybe Man with Hat did not get to fish -- but we saw no-one, and we were in the mountains, living our dream.  It doesn't get any better than that!

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