Thursday, April 30, 2009

You Know You're in Montana when . . .

I promise this will be my last post about Montana (for the time being anyway)!

After all, Lee and I have been back from our Montana vacation for almost a week now, and (as you may be thinking) it’s time we get back into our regular routines here at home, right? Right.

Indeed, we have begun to resume our normal schedules.

Our sweet greyhound Harley is blissfully home again, after having spent WAY too much time in the kennel (in his mind, anyway).

I’ve emptied our luggage and travel boxes and put things away (taking less than my usual two weeks!) and I’ve already completed several loads of dreaded “trip laundry” .

Lee has gone to work back at his office, and I am beginning to launch into designing some new handmade cards.

And soon, hopefully, I’ll have some new card creations to blog about. . . .

But, before that, I couldn’t resist just ONE more blog entry to share a few more photos and memories from our recent trip to the beautiful state of Montana. So here goes! I’m calling this post . . .


"You Know You’re in Montana when . . . ."

the décor in your condo unit/hotel room has an unmistakable “Western” flair . . . .




you don’t even have to get out of your car to photograph local wildlife . . .





you can’t drive anywhere in the countryside without crossing or coming up alongside a fork or a tributary of the Flathead River . . . .









one of the locally brewed beers on tap in bars and available in restaurants and grocery stores is actually named “Moose Drool” . . .



you find yourself driving in a snowstorm the second to last week of April (of course, HOW is that different from here at home in Utah??) . . .



murals and wall art take on an entirely new dimension . . .








Thanks for visiting my Blog!

And until we meet again . . . may all your travels, whether near or far, be memorable.


Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Another Glimpse of Big Sky Country . . . .

Well, we're a couple of days now into our trip to the Big Sky County of Montana, and the weather so far has been gorgeous!


According to the local weathermen, from tomorrow on, it will likely be cloudy and possibly rainy, so Lee and I are making the most of the warmth and the sun while we can.


We spent yesterday and today taking scenic drives around and inside Glacier National Park.





We knew when we scheduled this trip, that parts of the Park might not be accessible this early in the year, but even so, we were hoping we'd be able to venture farther into the Park than we've been able to do.

We found out yesterday that the Going to the Sun Road that crosses Glacier National Park from east to west and goes through some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the Mountain West, is open for only 10 miles right now.

But, we went ahead and drove the road yesterday as far as we could, and were able to find some lovely views of Lake McDonald, a long and narrow fresh water lake along the western edge of the Park.

The photos that I'm posting in today's Blog entry were taken around Lake McDonald. I hope you
enjoy them!
















Until we meet again. . . . May nature's beauty surround and delight you.


Friday, April 17, 2009

On the ROAD Again!

Today heralded the beginning of another of my husband Lee's and my eagerly anticipated trips, this time to the beautiful Glacier National Park area of the great state of Montana.

We've been to this area once before several years ago, and were quite taken by the beauty of the surrounding landscape, as well as by the opportunities to view wildlife. Lee, being an avid landscape photographer, is always on the lookout (no pun intended) for new photo opps. So when we happened upon an available time share trade in the area, we jumped at it.

Lee and I took off this morning on the first leg of our road trip, from Salt Lake City, Utah to Missoula, Montana. We were both happy to get "on the road again." I've always thought there was something rather exhilarating and freeing about getting in the car and just GOING somewhere!

Over the years that Lee and I have been together, we've settled into our own comfortable routine for road trips . . . . Lee does all the driving, and I pour the coffee, get the snacks, and change the music CDs! (We both learned very early on that he had no tolerance for my driving style, nor I for his "back seat" driving, so we've become quite content with our current routine.)

Today's nine-hour drive was pleasant, although a bit windy. The scenery was varied and beautiful, and I tried to make good use of my time by catching a few snapshots (through my car window, of course!) to share with you all on my Blog. . . .

I hope you enjoy these. . . I've posted them roughly in sequence, starting with some shots of scenery in northern Utah, progressing into Idaho, and then Montana.








Lee and I do a lot of road traveling, and I have to say, we've never seen another grain elevator with a "Budweiser" motif... this was a FIRST!








The following photo, believe it or not, was taken from our 4th floor window at the motel we're staying here in Missoula this evening. The river below (I don't know the name) meanders through town and is quite beautiful. We lucked out with this view, for sure!


Tomorrow, we continue our road trip to Columbia Falls, Montana, another three or so hours from here. With Columbia Falls as our "home base" over the next few days, we will be exploring the various surrounding areas, including Glacier Park.

I hope to be able to post another Blog entry while we're on our trip, so please check back!


Until we meet again . . . . .

May the road rise to meet you, and may the wind be always at your back.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

HAPPY HAPPY EASTER !

Here comes Peter Cottontail . . . .


Hoppin' down the Bunny trail . . . . .




Hippity Hoppity, Happy Easter Day!





Sending a Heartfelt Wish to All My Fellow Bloggers,

Friends, and Followers

for a
HAPPY EASTER

filled with joy and surrounded by those you love.