Looking Up - Yelllow Snow Crocus - Missoula, Montana

...imagining a wee mousie's view of the stalwart yellow snow crocus...

(thank you to thebesottedbookworm for the charming mousie inspiration, and Big Sis 1 for the share !) 

Freshest Blooming - My Neighbour’s Spring Crocus, Missoula, Montana

“And then the light changed, and the vegetation of the ground. It was April and the freshest flowers of the year were blooming under the trees.” - from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, p. 351

Road Trip Ready Raccoon - Missoula, Montana

Seems I’m not alone in my springtime yen for a road trip… Another splendid Montana thing: You never know what kind of kindred spirits you may meet on an afternoon ramble! 

Spring Sunshine Melt - Bitterroot River, Missoula, Montana

Late March: We progress to t-shirt weather and not a snowflake in sight. But experienced Montanans know: Wait on planting anything tender, and don’t put away the snow shovel just yet…

Spring Snow Peaks - Near Three Forks, Montana

The one thing you can predict about springtime in Montana: it’s never boring.  Ides-of- March storms ousted the beatific sunny days of early March, adding much-coveted snowpack to many of our mountain ranges.

Spring Snow Day - Near Livingston, Montana

Ahhh, the glorious vagaries of western Montana springtime! 

Snowy Field Grass - Missoula, Montana

“I know a man who walked to the edge of a field on a snowy day…. stood in the pillowy silence and gazed out on the snow-muffled trees … The quiet was simply staggering. The man's heart was filled to bursting with the beauty of it, so he lifted his arms to God, closed his eyes, and worshipped.” - How to Worship A King by Zach Neese, Preface

Marcescent Maple - Missoula, Montana

Hurrah! A perfect new word for this recent snow walk photo: 

marcescent 

(adjective; of a plant part) : 

withering without falling off

(Big thanks to Sister #3 for the sweet word share , via Grant Snider’s charming illustration.