Posts from the ‘special light’ category

Tuesday morning in the woods

In typical Montana fashion we’ve gone from having heat on to opening the house in the cool morning and closing it up against the heat. Heat, being hot according to me which is 70F and above. It is 81F as I write this at 5:00 p.m. ish.

But, this morning, it was a wonderful 51F with a light breeze. The light in the woods was stunning. The company was spectacular. I recorded some images and shared them in an Instagram Story this morning. I liked the photos so much, here they are on the blog. All iPhone.

Alpenglow

Alpenglow happens when the rays of the setting or rising sun bend around the curvature of the earth and light up the mountains in the opposite direction: sunset lights mountains to the east, sunrise lights mountains to the west.

I went down the road close to sunset which was also supposed to be close to moonrise … a full moon rising. With the arctic front, came clear skies and I hoped there might be an alpenglow rising full moon.

The moon was late. Probably not the moon’s fault. I’m using a new moon phase app and this was my first try at matching its time for moonrise to actuality.

All was not lost as the alpenglow was beautiful.

West and Northwest, there was a pink glow on the mountains.

Even more north towards Big Mountain: you can see some of the ski trails about mid-photo.

The last bit of pink alpenglow above the road home.

Perfect Light

It is 38 days until Summer Solstice, the shortest day (daylight hours) of the year.

Currently, it is light before 6:00 a.m. and until after 9:30 p.m.

The light has been spectacular these last weeks. It is at an angle that is warm and gold and I enjoy it greatly as shortly it will be the harsh light of summer and potential heat and … but no need to go there! I concentrate on staying here and now and enjoying this time of beautiful light, cool-warm-blustery days with vivid blue sky and vibrant greens of grass, leaves and bushes.

This Friday morning wavered between sunshine and clouds as I made scones and a small frittata…

with Bear outside enjoying the morning air.

And then Bear and Auggie on Beardog Point.

Late afternoon, the light filtered through the blinds turns my work room to shades of gold.

Perfect Light.

Tranquility

The weather has been gray and dreary and a very un-January-like above freezing kind of mish-mash. Because of the snow depth, there is still snow-slush to snowshoe on. Auggie is able to walk on top of the mess. Bear is dealing with a mix of breaking through slush and the firmness of my snowshoe paths.

Blech.

It is what it is and the forecast is for 20’s overnight and upper 30’s-40’s F daytime, i.e. continued slushiness.

The good news … actually, the GREAT news!! is that the only thing we have to complain about is the weather – small potatoes!!!

And today, mid-afternoon…Bear and I made a quick run to Bigfork for a few items that the House Summers required. And we were rewarded with clear roads as well as some unexpectedly beautiful vistas, particularly across Flathead Lake.

The best views were in spots of travel with no safe place to stop and take a photo. We ended up in the parking lot of the Flathead Lake Brewery, formerly a bowling alley. The brewery-pub is very nice and has a primo spot overlooking the lake. I’ve enjoyed a glass with a friend on the deck … last summer. Today, it was a park and shoot affair.

It was beautiful.

And in the midst of gray and dreary, there was stunning light.