Posts from the ‘Montana’ category

Headed North

Geese

Geese

Geese

I took these photos last Saturday. I kept hearing geese overhead and when Karl and I were walking our ridge path I heard them again. Although a bit hard to see in that first photo, I have never seen so many “V’s” at one time. The cacophony of honking almost hurt my ears. But it brought to mind “The Goose Story” … I could link to the old post but I think it is one that is worth repeating so here it is:

What science has taught us about why geese fly they way they do:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in a ‘V formation, the whole flock can fly at least 71% farther than if each bird flew on its own.

Perhaps people who share a common direction can get where they are going quicker and easier if they cooperate.

When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of flying with the flock.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will work with others who are going the same way as we are.

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies on the point.

It pays to take turns doing hard jobs for our group.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. The lead goose (on the point) never honks

The power of praise and recognition is critical to success.

Finally, (get this) when a goose weakens or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they then set out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with the group.

If we had the sense of a goose, we would stand by each other like that.

Last night’s walk

This post is a little late for some of my “coffee with From the Front Porch readers”…Yesterday was a little out of whack…it started with no coffee and no breakfast as I had an 8 a.m. appointment for a “fasting” blood test as part of my annual physical. The no breakfast I can do – even though I am a daily breakfast person…the no coffee is another kettle of fish altogether! I have a 35 mile drive to the clinic and all the way there I just wanted to pull over and take a nap. The good news is that I didn’t fall asleep driving and my after blood test treat was a Cowgirl Mocha from my favorite coffee spot AND Lox on an everything bagel. I know that last bit doesn’t exactly sound like Montana, but Whitefish has a superb bagel place where they boil the bagels, then bake in the proper kind of oven – just like New York City!

Because I am trying to think about consolidating trips to save on gas costs, I combined a grocery shopping trip with the run to Whitefish. By the time all of this got done it was 11 a.m. before I got home and got to work and then I was called on to help with bus navigation… The day slipped away without much work getting done. Finally I just called the day, called Karl and we took our evening walk about 7:30. I had something else planned for a quick post for today, but the mountains had a new look that I couldn’t resist.

Back from the walk, I downloaded the photos and took the computer – and a glass of cognac to the front porch. I have to ‘fess to the cognac as it is in one of the photos and looks so pretty that I didn’t want to disappear it. I have sworn off wine for the week – ‘nother story – and really intended no alcohol but the cool evening and the playing with photos…..I succumbed and I’m NOT sorry! But I did run out of steam before getting the blog post finished – hence the late post this morning.

I know a lot of you skipped reading all of the above – that’s ok! Here are the photos.

It was the wispy clouds hanging around the mountain tops that called to me…

Mountain Views

Mountain Views

Mountain Views

Mountain Views

A blue hole above and below, to the west, the clearing sky.

Mountain Views

Mountain Views

Front Porch

From the front porch…

Front Porch

Front Porch

An evening shared after last night’s walk.

Mountains, Lupins and Karl

First – a note from Karl…

Karl's note

Onward…I have some photos from yesterday and no profound words to go with them. It has been rainy, thundershowery, occasional sun breaks … the rain is wonderful, we need it. It is a busy work week. So there you have it – weather and work. I’ll be quiet now and go with the pictures.

Mountains in the mist yesterday morning.

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Lupins – they are starting to bloom around my woods. And I am continually fascinated by the way that the leaves hold raindrops. Walking the path that has the lupins on each side, it is like walking through a field of diamonds when the raindrops catch the light.

Lupins

Lupins

And Karl…it has been cooler and so he is full of joy and running and generally playing on the morning walk. A good stick is plenty to keep him happy…well, and his dirt pile!

Karl

Karl

Thus was yesterday – Mountains, Lupins and Karl.

King of the hill

There was a large garden with raised beds and a mini-orchard of 9 fruit trees enclosed by a 6 foot high deer fence…was… It was more work than was fun for me and the garden now lives at my neighbors. There are several posts about it under the category “Yard and Garden”…

The gist is my neighbors and I swapped – they dismantled the fencing and graded the leftover with their backhoe in return for the fencing and planter material. Before starting the grading, there was already a small pile of topsoil left by the previous owners. After the grading, the topsoil pile was a bit bigger.

I don’t know what to do with the topsoil – there is not enough to spread over some parts of the yard that need it. I decided that at the first opportunity I’ll just push it flat and spread it out right where it is. There is a bit of a track behind the pile from some of the logging work and it can fill that area.

Karl might take care of it for me..

Karl went at it so vigorously that it kind of looked like he was having fun. And not just once. He has rearranged his little cave – hidey hole – cool spot several times – always the dirt flying as he works on it with seeming enthusiasm.

But he does use it…

And it is a good spot from which to keep an eye on things…

Mr. Karl – King of the hill!

Bob likes his bit of dirt also – a good dirt bath is heaven on a sunny day!

Bob is “King of the hill” in his own way.

not a real gardener

Every fall when I put away hanging baskets and plant containers ….that I save…I vow that next year I am going to reuse the baskets and containers and do my own baskets. And so far, every year, I go to the nursery and buy beautiful hanging baskets already full of bloomin’ stuff. Yea, well…NEXT YEAR!

I absolutely love going to the nursery, though. And yesterday’s trip was my third trip this year, although the first I actually bought anything. See, if you put things out before Memorial Day, you either have to be a martyr to covering up and/or bringing everything in and out or you will lose it because we have these teaser summerlike spells mid to early May and then it snows one more time. But it is so hard because things are greening up, leafing out, the sky is blue and you really, really, really want to plant something – of course, I did – once…

But yesterday was June 1! So off I went. My local nursery is on a funny little rural corner between my house and Bigfork. There is Swan River School on one corner, Swan River Community Center on another, Echo Lake Cafe and Echo Lake Store on the other two. The nursery sits next to the Community Center.

Store ……………….. and Cafe

Swan River Nursery The owners of the nursery are a young couple. This is maybe their 4th or 5th year. Sometimes their little girls are there as well as their golden retriever. A number of employees that have been the same for these years are around. It is another thing about this community that I enjoy – the continuity, seeing the owner and his family, seeing the same people getting things…

Swan River Nursery

Swan River Nursery

I wandered around inside several times and didn’t see what I thought I wanted. The front porch gets morning sun and doesn’t get too hot but where the baskets hang do not get a lot of full sun. I always get something that will do well in part shade. And although I love how petunias look, I’m not all that fond of the maintenance required. And I don’t like too much pink and purple…last years baskets were mountain bell in red, white and blue and mostly I just watered them. There is not so much of the pinching off of dead blossoms. So, I was thinking that maybe I would have to put on my big girl panties and just plant my own baskets when I wandered outside and found the perfect baskets – 2!!! – planted with the same colors, the same size baskets – the perfect thing!

Swan River Nursery

Done! – well, one quick trip inside to gather a few things for another idea I had…

Swan River Nursery

One of the “perfect” baskets – it picks up all of the colors on the front porch and then some – I LOVE it!

Tree Root planter

My other idea… this tree root – last year I looked at it and thought that it would be pretty with a little color in it.

Tree Root planter

not a real gardener, but we’ll see how this goes.