The neighbors have gone home and we are back on our mountain loop walk…
After morning rain showers, the afternoon and evening cleared – SO clear!
Beautiful green, green, green, high in the back country.
We sat and looked and smelled and felt…the clean, crisp, western mountain air.
Kalispell, Montana, Flathead Valley Painter, Andrew Rech of A&B Painting, started on my house yesterday. It is a happy day all around except for maybe Bob who didn’t think the pressure washing was his cup of tea.
Day one was washing, masking, sanding and priming.
When Andrew left, he told me there were just a few little things that he needed to do before he would start spraying the main color today. I’m sticking with light gray on the house, but changing the trim to a dark gray. And then…..and then! – maybe some shrubs or plants or something around the base of the house. I’ve put that off saying I didn’t want to be painting around shrubs and plants. I’ve wanted to paint the house since I bought it almost 3 years ago…
Thanks, Andrew! Although the house looks worse right now, it is on its way to looking much better.
The best thing about Summer is that when it’s over, it is Fall! By the calendar, Summer is just a bit past half over. But here in Northwest Montana, it feels like we’ve turned the corner and are blasting towards Fall. Although the days have been getting shorter for almost 2 months, it seems suddenly noticeable. The angle of the sun is getting a bit lower and the “good” light for photography is coming back. The latest heat wave broke before the weekend. The forecast is for upper 70-low 80 temperatures and very cool nights. We will probably have some hot days in August and even September but it is different in August and September. The days are short enough that it takes all day to heat up and immediately starts cooling off.
I love this time! Fall and early Winter…my favorite time of year and we are getting close. Half the fun, as with so many things, is the anticipation. I can enjoy every day of Summer now as we’ve turned the corner to Fall.
Photo taken 8/9/2009, Somers, MT from the east. Somers from other directions in the links below:
Somers from a different direction
Like the old Burma shave signs, the signs for the cherry stands line the road into Bigfork. But this sign that advertises not only cherries, but “Tiny the talking bird”, wins the prize for most unique.
And the stand is unique as well. Most of the cherry stands, whether in town or in front of the orchards are kiosk size, like the smaller stand at the far end. But the Bush Jubilee Orchards stand is indeed special.
Clarice Bush of Bush’s Jubilee Orchards (since 1960!) was working Thursday afternoon when I stopped. As I mulled over my purchase and asked if I could take photos she told me that next year is a big year for Bush’s Jubilee Orchards – it will be a celebration of their 50 years growing cherries along Flathead Lake.
Black sweet cherries and Rainier sweet cherries were available today. Organic, and washed if you’d like. Samples are available in case you are undecided. I tried 2 or 3 of both before buying a pound of each as well as a jar of jam.
Then I got to meet Tiny, a salmon-crested cockatoo. Tiny talks, but has figured out that if he waits to talk until given a cherry, he gets more cherries!
He seems to be saying “So why do you think that’s funny?” He actually said “Hello”, very loud and clear, several times. Then he commenced to digging into his cherry!
First step is stem removal.
Tiny took his time. The stem came off quickly and then the cherry was positioned so that he could “open” it to remove the pit.
Tiny, the talking bird…will talk for cherries.
***”Household” Note added 8/9/2009: The air conditioner was put away on Saturday, 8/8/2009 with the knowledge that it may need to be retrieved, but GREAT hope that it can stay stowed!!
Can’t you just taste it??? Homemade cherry jam*, butter (real, I use no other!) on a toasted muffin…
This is sweet cherry season, specifically Flathead Lake Cherry season. Cherries have been or are being picked on the orchards around the lake. (May – Cherry blossoms around the Lake ) There are cherry stands in front of each orchard as well as on the highway passing Bigfork.
More on cherries this weekend, but I will say that my story involves a famous talking bird named Tiny…
*Jam homemade by the cherry grower with the stand.