Posts from the ‘Montana’ category

there’s snow on them thar hills…

Road HomeI woke in the night 2 nights ago and heard rain – a good sound considering the fires and dryness of this area.  And it was a nice gentle rain so good moisture.

Yesterday afternoon, I was driving in to town (Kalispell) – blue skies, puffy white clouds and belatedly I noticed – SNOW on the mountain tops!  It is high – probably 3500-4000 feet higher than my home and a bit higher than that from the valley floor, but beautiful.  Mountain tops are made to have snow on them…

On the way to town, I stopped in Somers, MT – a little town that lives on the northwest border of Flathead Lake.  There is a bit of an historic railroad trail that Karl and I walk.  It’s on the way to the grocery I prefer.  There is a restaurant along the trail and they have a garden to grow their own veg and herbs.  The sunflowers below are from that garden – the lake and mountain view from along that trail.

Sunflowers

Lake

Grandfather Pine

Ponderosa CoupleThe pine tree I was in front of in yesterday’s post is beautiful and one of about 10 that live in front of my house.

But guarding the northwest corner of my property are 2 very old, very beautiful Ponderosa Pines.  My friend, Kris, who looked at the property for me when I was in Michigan went on and on about the “grandfather” pine on the property corner – that it was worth buying the property for that tree. 

“He” is a beauty – the photos cannot capture the size, the feeling of power and longevity – the patriarch…  But equally beautiful and interesting is a smaller tree to the right.  It is a bit hard to see in the photo but it is to the far right in the upper left photo – smaller, but same reddish-brown bark.  I say that this is a husband and wife pair – the long married couple standing side-by-side against all nature has to throw at them.  And they are gatekeepers – there is a game trail that passes right between them. 

Bob Love, Confluence Timber, who logged the property estimates that the large tree is over 200 years old – maybe 250.  That is incredible to me to think that this tree has lived through 4 or 5 generations of humans.  Bob guesses that the only reason the tree was still standing, i.e. not cut for timber by someone – was that it was so close to the property boundaries that no one knew exactly whose it was.  So… he belongs to no one…

There are 2 slash marks on the trunk at about my eye level.  Bob says the marks are Grizzly marks – Grizzlies use the Ponderosa to mark their territory and warn other Griz off.  I like to think that this place is “guarded” by a Griz and the trees…

Griz Mark

Year 1

Today is the one year anniversary of the day I closed on my little house.  I’m not big on the whole anniversary thing but the last two houses I bought were a stretch for me and my first places chosen on my own and with an amount of land and I’ve pretty much felt like I’m flying without a net!  So to get through the first year has seemed like a big deal to me with these 2 places.

10 days after move in, I closed out my last RV Trip Log with this entry dated 9/23/2006:

We are “settled” – all boxes are unpacked, pictures are hung, belongings are stowed.  This is harder and takes longer than I remember!  Love this little house more each day – the land is very special.  Karl, Bob and I (yep, Bob comes along) walk the perimeter at least twice a day.  There is plenty of room for a bit of soccer and chase games also.  Lots of things I’d love to do and I look forward to years of doing them!  Still – I am always open to opportunity and exploration – so, one day at a time!

In this last year, in the last several months some surprising – to me – changes in priorities – the house, the place – I still love them and enjoy the beauty and the quiet but there are new stories to be told, new adventure to be lived – I find I have no qualms about exploring something new.

Let the new year begin!

Things found

Feather and rockI found these things…a raven feather and a heart-shaped rock.

The rock is so interesting to me not only for its shape – who can resist something heart-shaped – a symbol of love – but it is so smooth on all of its edges.  It was in the ground like a stepping stone amongst the dirt, weeds, other rocks and what are probably the tips of boulders that are along a path I often walk near my home.  How many times did I step on it, over it, near it before the day I actually saw it….  I could spin all kinds of stories around that…

The feather – there are feathers around fairly often, but this is the first raven feather.  Ravens are not uncommon here – I don’t know how often they drop feathers but probably that is not uncommon either.  This caught my eye as it was in such good condition and although it looks black as night on the ground, when you pick it up and light catches it, there are the blue and green reflections in the black.

 And then there is the Native American lore surrounding the Raven.  I went searching on the internet hoping to find some prediction of good fortune or ???

As in all things of lore and mystic there are various interpretations and tales of what things mean but here is what I found that is from tribes in my area:

Raven’s medicine is magic.  She is the Great Mystery of the Void. Black, to Native Americans, is a color of magical power, and only to be feared if misused.  Raven symbolizes the void – the mystery of that which is not yet formed.  Ravens are symbolic of the Black Hole in Space, which draws in all energy toward itself and releases it in new forms.  The iridescent blue and green that can be seen in the glossy black feathers of the raven represents the constant change of forms and shapes that emerge from the vast blackness of the void.  In Native American tradition, Raven is the guardian of both ceremonial magic and healing circles. She is also the patron of smoke signals. Raven’s element is air, and she is a messenger spirit, which Native American shamans use to project their magic over great distances.

So, it is a message, I just don’t know what the message is….

Sat-ur-day… in the Park

Back to Whitefish – post eye Dr….beautiful day and SO grateful that my eye is ok.  Karl was with so we stopped at our walking place – now the Soccer fields…

daughter, Dad and ??? in the trailer:

Family always something special about Dad’s and daughters…maybe because I’m a daughter.  This little girl was interested in Karl and she and her dad had a short discussion about his color and white “socks” as they passed.  I couldn’t see “who” was in the trailer…

The photos following show the soccer fields which were being used for their intended purpose today. 

 Also below is a view into Glacier National Park with the pond in the foreground that is home to a variety of birds at least – this entire area is a bit of a wetlands – reclaimed by manmade methods for the soccer fields, a church and housing subdivision.  Privately, Karl and I preferred it as open land… but change – progress are inevitable – even in Montana…

Soccer

GNP

A walk in the park

Along the northeast shore of Flathead Lake, about 7 miles from my house is a state park – Wayfarer’s State Park.  According to a marker in the park, Harry Horn made the funds and/or the land (it’s not clear) available so that this area would be a place for families to stop and enjoy the lake and the woods.  There is a boat launch, picnic areas along the shore, 20 tent/rv sites, 2 bath houses and a small system of walking trails.  In Montana part of the vehicle registration fee goes to the state park system so day use is free if you have Montana plates. 

I take Karl there year round – we walk 2 loops – maybe 3 miles – that start at a parking lot near the entrance, go up a hill which gives a view of a lake…then down to the lake and a loop along the shore.  The trails are maintained with chip shreds and although have the up and down they are good walking.  The park borders a dude ranch called Flathead Lake Lodge – they call it a dude ranch and it has the activities you’d assocate with a dude ranch but it’s location on the lake allows for it to also have lake activities like kayaking, swimming, and fishing.  There are peek-a-boo views into this property from the park.

Dude Ranch 

Dude Ranch II

When we go in the summer we often just do the “top” loop as between the rv/camping, boat launch and picnic areas there are often more people and other dogs than is fun – usually during the week we have the place to ourselves and we ignore the rules and go off leash – it’s a great running around area.  The “beach” area is rocky and treed – not wide open but  walkable.

Lake

Boat

Yesterday, a holiday, things were very quiet.  People had put in boats but the launch area and beach were not crowded like the middle of summer.  A few campers and rvrs were in residence but the 2 camp hosts were getting ready to leave the park for the winter – the bathhouses stay open until the end of September but you are on your own as far as getting into spots.  It was warm midday at 80 and Karl and I were both hot at the 1/2 way point of the first loop so we skipped the lake for probably the last time this summer and walked just the first loop. On the way back we passed a group of 2 families with what appeared to be all of the grandparents.  Karl always gets a lot of attention – he is a handsome dog and many people have never seen a Karelian.  He loves children and will stand waiting with tail wagging to say hello but he is not forward and will not approach them or other people unless they speak to him.  And sometimes they don’t – his size, blackness, still and quiet wolfish appearance frightens some.  This day he was hot, so panting slightly and the kids were not comfortable although their parents and I said they could pet him.  One of the boys remarked that it looked like he had very sharp teeth!  Karl has a gorgeous set of teeth – very straight and white – they ARE sharp but he’s never used them on a person or child – but mouth open, panting – I took a look – it was a bit frightening if you don’t know him.  So no petting and on we went and finished our walk.  A nice walk in the park and in the coming days we will have both loops to ourselves as the summer visitors dwindle.