There have been several hard freezes.
The few bugs and flies here are done.
I took down the “screen” curtain on the front door: a right of passage to Fall and Winter.
And that got me to thinking, that maybe the gates in the house could go also.
No gates.
Open House.
Happy Us!
***Both screen and gates were removed on 10/18.
We are in transition.
As the house is open more…as in almost always…Bear and Bob are changing where they choose to be.
VERY interesting.
VERY gratifying.
This evening…Bear chose to be near me….
…stretching it out.
Currently, here in northwest Montana, sunrise is just after 8 a.m. and sunset is just before 7 p.m. And, we have two more months of days getting shorter.
The sun arcs very low over the south as well, so the limited sunlight is not strong sunlight.
I knew my herbs would probably not make it inside without a bit of artificial light…
I had thoughts of getting a couple racks with hanging UV lights and making some shelf tables, but after looking at these, decided that the option of moving them easily AND taking them in the motorhome made for a better first go.
Naturally, as soon as FedEx dropped them off, the sun was out.
I also bought a water meter on the advice of my folks. Bill uses one for their potted herbs and they have fresh herbs all year round. This is one of the coolest things I’ve bought in awhile – no batteries! The moisture generates enough electricity for the meter to pick it up. Amazing.
By the time I quite playing with the meter and got the lights assembled and positioned, it was stormy-dark again – it was a day of off and on squalls with brilliant sunshine and clear, crisp air in between.
I am VERY happy with these lights: easy to hang anywhere and here in the sunroom-office they create such a nice feeling along with the herbs.
The only other “problem” with the plants in my office is temperature. The nursery guy said they would like the room fairly warm. I like the room fairly cool.
This may be my winter “uniform”…
I told the herbs that they were Montana herbs and as such, they should be ok with slightly cooler conditions. I hope they took that to heart.
Last evening, the light show continued…outside.
Dark to the east, clear to the west and the setting sun lit the tree tops.
And later still, as the temperature dropped…a cozy fire in the woodstove.
Bear and I took a Sunday drive. Do people still do Sunday drives? Well…this people does and Bear goes along joyously!
Fall light from the ridge…
… the ridge on the road home.
Happy Bear!
The plan was a drive to Woods Bay, about 4 miles south of Bigfork and 10 miles south of the road home. We stopped along the way at Wayfarer’s park and walked a bit there.
Onward.
Woods Bay.
Sorry…WAY out of focus, but I was driving and holding the camera and the main thing is THE COLOR!
And while the Rocky Mountains do not have the reds of the White/Green/Smoky/Ozark areas of the east…my own heart is a western heart and the gold of the Rockies is the perfect color for me.
Fall Color Tour: the Montana version.
P.S.
I could not resist.
Bear and Bob.
Look at their feet. (dbl-click!!!)
The house is open.
…as in the gates are open. They both have run of the house.
The “boy’s room” is heated to 68F!!!
There is fleece on the day bed in the boy’s room.
The bedroom is cool at 60F, but there is fleece and flannel and a window to the woods.
Bob and Bear are both in the living room…Bear on one of the chairs he prefers for nighttime and Bob on the dog bed….
I have put the dog bed in various places and with and without a pillow…for Bear, to allow him an easy and comfortable bed vs jumping on to my bed or one of the leather chairs (while we are resting his leg). Bear occasionally uses the “dog” bed, but never for long. I’ve flipped it so that the canvas side is up…thinking that maybe the fleece side is too warm…
I’ve moved it here and there.
Whatever.
The “just stay out of my way” boys…now are the “together boys”… yet another mystery.
I had some phenomenal teachers in high school and am forever grateful for them as well as for the influence of my parents on reading, problem solving, learning, loving to learn…AND learning that failure is something to be learned from, laughed about and absolutely not feared.
And I have a Canon camera… although my first camera was a Minolta, rescued from a pawn shop bin by my father and given to me on my 16th birthday.
I was made to first learn in black and white, NOT Kodachrome :) !!
And I have no idea why sometimes these songs come to mind. Music, as in the “current” music was not and is still not of great importance to me. I guess I had the car radio on when I was young but I didn’t buy much music…ever. And now: I prefer listening to the wind in the trees and chatter of the animals or the sound of my car or motorhome engine…so HOW do I know and/or remember these songs?
A mystery.
But yesterday, walking through the woods with Bear as the sun was setting and lighting up the wood grasses and dead thistles…I wanted to capture the moment and the feeling.
I love to take a photograph.
And the song came to mind, unbidden, out of the ether.
Kodachrome by Paul Simon
When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
It’s a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of education
Hasn’t hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wallKodachrome
You give us those nice bright colors
You give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah!
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome awayIf you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they’d never match
My sweet imagination
And everything looks worse in black and whiteKodachrome
You give us those nice bright colors
You give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah!
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away