Celebrate - Montana's Best

Best of machine quilting

"Since 1902, the Flathead Valley has celebrated the talents and  interests of its residents with an annual celebration of the season.  With our heritage in agriculture and our focus on the youth of the valley, the tradition of the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo continues today as the largest gathering in the region."  Official Program by the Flathead Beacon

As I reflected on our visit Saturday to the Fair, I could not have summarized it better myself!!!  Creativity ... Young kids showing off their hard work - from animals to photography to crafts ... Education for the community ... Fair food .... Beauty ... Summer fun ....  I love the Fair!

As you all know, I am partial to flowers, so I found the "Angie's Greenhouse" display at the fair entrance serendipitous!!  I felt welcomed, that's for sure!

The Draft Horse Show drew my interest, and we were rewarded with an education in draft horse breeds - for example, did you know that the Gypsy Vanner is a relatively new breed that was brought to North America from Great Britain in 1996?  The breed comes in various colors and is often recognized by the abundance of feathering (hair) from the knees down.  The genetic origins of the breed include Shire, Clydesdale and native British ponies such as the Dales.   The Vanner is known for its kind and generous personality.  The word 'vanner' refers to 'being able to pull a caravan.'

Nearby, in the Expo Pavilion, we admired the craft of the 4-H clubs, the quilt-makers and the pie bakers (we envied the judges of the pie competition - they were busy tasting 20 apple confections.  How can we get that job?)

4-H - Wow!  Bottom two pictures are from a chess set

Since we hadn't landed the pie-judging gig, we did the next best thing - ate some fair food!

Vikings on a Boat -

meatballs, mashed potatoes,

gravy and red cabbage

Of course, a Fair is a petting zoo on steroids – a delight for the young and old alike.  We caught part of the rabbit judging for youngsters who looked to be 4 to 8 years old.  When asked what he liked best about his rabbit, one young man said “He likes to escape.” 

The next barn bore a “Floriculture” sign, and inside we found a paradise of dahlias and gladioli.  My favorites?  The dahlia with the cream background and the pink tips and the glad with the pink background and yellow tongues.  I must be in a pink sort of mood!  Which ones strike your fancy?

 

Next year, we’ll plan ahead and get tickets for the demolition derby or the rodeo.  In the meantime, we made do, strolling among the carnival rides and reminiscing about the times our kids tackled them all.  Oh, and about the goldfish that came home with us, swimming slow circles in a plastic bag.  It’s all part of summer fun at the Fair!


Linking to Our World Tuesday

My Hiking Journal - Entry 4

Monday, May 15 – Jewel Basin – 4 miles out and back


Montana is as parched as a bone right now.  Montana has been like a dry sauna - I go to sing  in church and am croaking like a frog.  So, it is almost incomprehensible that, as recently as 12 weeks ago, mounds of snow thwarted our hiking plans for Clayton Creek - the access gate was closed.  So, bringing to mind a recommendation from our waitress earlier in the week, we carried on to Graves Creek trailhead, only to find THAT road also closed short of the trailhead.  Not ones to be left empty-footed, we nevertheless hiked up that road to the trailhead (about 2 miles) and then returned by the same route.  The picture above shows why the road was still closed!  Presumably, a similar challenge caused the Clayton Creek road closure.

Not all was lost - on the road to both of these trails, we experienced stunning views across the Hungry Horse reservoir to the mountains of Glacier National Park.  As you can see, plentiful snowcaps on the peaks provided a sharp contrast with the blue skies.

Also, we were blessed by an osprey nest close to the road; one parent remained on the roost while the other perched nearby.

Once on the trail, we were quickly reminded that all that snow also brings the blessing of abundant cascades, big and small.

And a smattering of brave spring wildflowers.


Here are my hiking companions (Number 1 Son on the left and Spousal Unit on the right - no Man with Hat this day), sporting fashion headgear and looking for wildlife on the distant hillsides.

At the end of our hike, we enjoyed our picnic lunch at a primitive camp site near Handkerchief Lake.

 We had not seen a soul since leaving the 'metropolis' of Hungry Horse - another blessing of the snow and the remoteness of this area - it weeds out all but the most persistent!

Linking to Outdoor Wednesday

A little bit of whimsy

Whimsical - summer makes me feel whimsical.

And it fits so well with Willy Nilly Friday (five random thoughts)!

ONE: There is a house in our town that has whimsy written all over it - from the color of the trim to the turret to the white picket fence.  The garden adds to the enchantment - fairies must love its blend of structured randomness.

TWO: I biked to the market the other day and spotted this poster - I just love this aspect of summer - all kinds of special outdoor events are happening.  At this venue, we've met some neat people (they were strangers and now they're not!) and spent a fun evening with friends.   And we don't need a designated driver since it's within walking distance!

THREE: I think summer encourages trying out new recipes - exhibit A - potato waffle recipe I found on Pinterest -

and yet no summer is complete without a good old barbecue with all the fixin's.

FOUR: If you've been reading my blog, you know that our cat Josie is also called the Houdini cat.  She is mischievous, to say the least.  Also, for the last 12 years, she has never been a lap cat.  So, just let me say - when she recently spent more than 30 minutes on the lap of the Spousal Unit, we just had  to wonder what she's up to!

FIVE: our number one daughter (#1D) is currently completing a stage management internship with the California Shakespeare Company.  The second production of the summer, Black Odyssey, opens this weekend.  So, as with all stage productions, the last week before opening is a grueling technical week schedule during which all the final kinks are smoothed.  It has become our tradition to provide #1D with a care package for tech week.  I had so much fun shopping for items that are useful, not  too heavy (she flies back to school soon), funny and (dare I say it?) whimsical.  I think I hit the mark, don't you?

Polka dot socks - just because; Starbucks - lifeblood of any stage manager;

Sharpies - another staple for the organized stage manager;

Four magnets - SEEK, DARE, SOAR, ❤; Chocolate river rocks - can you see the fish hiding among them?

Linking to Willy Nilly Friday

Showing off 'a small island' - Part I (we don't need no raincoats!)

In 1995, Bill Bryson published 'Notes from a Small Island', his reflections on the UK as he was about to return to his native US.  In this series of posts, I will do my part to wax lyrical about my adopted country of the UK, through the lens of family members who were making their first trip there.

"You never know what is in your closet until you look"

Of course, any successful holiday (read vacation for anyone outside Europe) relies on planning.  In this respect, my sister and her husband were remarkably flexible, given that their current motto is to 'relentlessly root out hurry'.  We talked about planes, the best beer to drink, trains, the best beer to drink, villages to visit, must-see museums, the best beer to drink, and of course, clothing.   In Texas, coats are not commonly worn, so in the days leading up to departure, our recommendation to bring raincoats was met with a 'Hmmm - do we have any?'  Several hours later, I was relieved to get the above picture and text - success!



Spousal Unit planned a wonderful routing for us through Minneapolis and Amsterdam.  I love the Amsterdam airport - immigration and customs are a breeze.  Before we knew it, we had coffee and had settled into our gate to wait for our quick flight over to Newcastle.  It was then that he pointed out where I was sitting.  Off to a good start!  Hopefully this would not be auspicious for our trip, which would include a lot of walking!

The next day, our two guests arrived at the Darlington train station, via the Virgin train service from Kings Cross in London, where they had spent almost a week exploring all that the metropolis has to offer.  (Which, by the way, did not include any weather requiring rain coats.)  We whisked them off to my in-laws with just enough time to enjoy Mom's tea and to re-pack for our morning departure to the Yorkshire Dales.

Over 25 years ago, Spousal Unit introduced me to the public footpath system in the UK, and I know I fell in love with both at the same time - they are inextricably connected in my heart.  Thus it brings me great delight to share this national treasure with others. 

River Swale

How to describe the footpaths?  They are not just trails; they are an up-close, intimate look at the country.  Farms with all their best (sheep and their lambs) and their worst (just try tip-toeing through pastures frequented by a large herd of sheep).  Hand-built dry stone walls that have withstood the tests of 3 centuries stretch before you for miles.  Stiles that are often works of art in their own right.  And, our family favorite - 'random acts of castling' - the fact that you can be walking a path and all of a sudden come upon the ruin of a castle or an abbey.  So it was that we chose our first walk with my sister and her husband - to feature a 'random' abbey, Easby Abbey near Richmond.

Cottage garden with Easby Abbey in background

A small portion of the ruined abbey

I suppose I should thank Henry VIII.  "From 1536 to 1540 King Henry moved to dissolve the monasteries across England, as an act of religious defiance to the papacy in Rome, and in order to raise money from the sale of expensive materials that could be salvaged from the roofs and windows of the structures. Today, the English countryside is littered with some 800 sites, remnants of the religious metamorphosis England underwent at the hands of one of the most ruthless of Tudor monarchs. For visitors to England, a trip to one of these offers a unique window into the history of the country, and like the medieval castles that punctuate the countryside in most counties, the Monastery ruins are mysteriously ethereal in their ability to bring the past to life." (England.net)

For all we know, absent dear Henry, the monasteries might have disappeared altogether without the protection that comes from a designation as a historic site.  Or access might be restricted at the site of a functioning abbey.  Instead, today we get to admire nature's way of reclaiming a site, even in the smallest of nooks and crannies.






I suspect that footpaths also appeal to the voyeur in all of us - the opportunity to peer over a garden wall, especially the high ones, to see what is being protected from our view.  Quite quickly, my sister and her husband recognized that flower gardens, big and small, are a rampant past-time.  No matter how small the space, even if only a doorway, it possesses flowers.

A critical aspect of walking in the UK (and it may be the only reason some people engage) is the stop you make mid-way (or at the end, or BOTH, as the case may be) at a tea/coffee shop or the pub.  (I am still not sure if pub owners strategically placed their establishments at the end of paths, or if the path makers were always headed to the pub!)

View of Richmond Castle with River Swale below

Bridge over River Swale

On this particular day, our round-trip walk led us to the tea shop within the re-modeled rail station.  (This renovation is a superb example of using a historic space in a creative way that honors its roots - you can learn a lot about the history of rail in Richmond while enjoying an ice cream or a variety of baked goods, not to mention purchasing adult beverages from the distillery, watching a movie or perusing the art gallery.) For our part, we tucked into scones and tea (and bought some beer and cider, if truth must out!)

Waterfall on River Swale

Although it was not a long walk, it felt good to replace the hiking boots with sandals, which gave my sister and her husband another cultural experience: the sight of people changing their shoes in a public car park (read parking lot) is as ubiquitous as tea.

But there was not a raindrop to be found anywhere - tell me again why we brought the rain coats?


Linking  to Our World Tuesday

Wine, a Man and a Song

Every day is a reason to be thankful.  As one of my seasoned colleagues used to say - I am vertical!!!

Back in July, I was prompted by our pastor's sermon to consider other reasons I might have an 'attitude of gratitude'.  So, the next day, I just started listing all the ordinary activities of the day - because all of them might be extraordinary somewhere else.  The freedom to run safely through the city streets.  Running water.  Plentiful food.  A loving Spousal Unit.  The freedom to wear clothing of my choice.  WINE!  Weather that allows me to go outside.  A shower.  Good friends.  Children that appreciate our parenting.  And that was before 10 am (except for the wine ...)

Upper left: Mother's Day card from Number 1 Daughter

Lower left: Flowers from Number 1 Son

Upper right: Wine in a paper cup is still sweet!

Lower right: a good shower is hard to beat

So, if your day seems like 'just another day' - take a look around - you might be surprised.

In the photo booth at a company holiday party - yes, this 

is the actual picture!

And, to add to the joy - let me say that today is the 26th anniversary of making a life-long commitment to my Spousal Unit - the best decision that I ever made.







To celebrate, we started the day with a special breakfast of mimosas and salmon with caper sauce on English muffins, next to the lake where we are building our new log house.  Does it get any better than that?






In the evening, we continued the celebration with a Greek dinner (Spousal Unit) and cheesecake (my contribution).

Handcrafted jewelry from Whitefish, Montana

At this point in our marriage, it is hard to generate gift ideas that are genuinely 'needed'.  So, we often buy each other gifts on the spur of the moment, with the footnote "this is for our anniversary." 

New fishing pole and reel - perfect size for hiking

Last week, we had the rare opportunity to enjoy the music of Susan Gibson at the Craggy Range in Whitefish, Montana.   I had heard a promotion for her gig on the radio, which mentioned she had penned the Dixie Chicks hit "Wide Open Spaces".  We were intrigued, and intrigue quickly turned to infatuation.  This woman is a talented singer/songwriter.  During her one and only break, we chatted with Susan, and during the course of the conversation, we mentioned our upcoming anniversary.  In her next set, she played "You Came Along" with a dedication to us.  How did she already know us so well?

You came along, a traveling salesman
You knocked on my door until I let you in
There was no telling I don’t want what you’re selling
But you insisted; I am happy again

I said I’m too busy; I’m too important

I don’t have time to be playing your games
You said ‘you don’t look that busy’
You said ‘day light is burning and wasting it is such a shame’

You came along and you had the remedy
Something to help me get over my blues
In sunshine and snake oil blue fades to yellow
I’m lucky that you came along

Spread out your trinkets, baubles and toys
Shiny and sparkling the pockets of little boys
And I never knew these were things that I needed
Up until you came along

You came along and all of my planning
It flew out the window; it migrated south
Just like the wind, you know when I can’t see you
I still feel you hanging around

Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week

Red Rover come over, we’ll play hide and seek
And I’m making promises that I’ve got to keep
Ever since you came along
Ever since you came along
Just because you came along
© 2008 For The Records

Linking to Thankful Thursday

It's a Small Town Life