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01 June 2013

Green Light, Missoula, Montana


This spring, sunlight has serendipitously found me beneath varied green canopies. The light filtered through these poplar leaves is so vibrantly green, and for some reason provokes feelings of peace. Green light - move past the caution; go with it.

31 May 2013

Saucy Balance, Missoula, Montana

Part of my delight of eating out at any Asian-inspired restaurant comes from the precision of scaled symmetry - a place for just the right amount of everything.
Missoula’s Iza Restaurant does this very well, combining relaxation and vibe with perfect portions of provoking sauces and oils to enhance your entrĂ©e - or just to visually relish. (And don’t let having this photo at your beck & call stop you from finding - or creating! - a live version of your very own. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it falls dreadfully short in the “sublime flavour” category. Not to mention the cardboard texture. You can do better in the real world. And we are so going to eat here when you come to visit.)

30 May 2013

Fleeting Bloom, Missoula, Montana

Springtime blossoms are among this life's fleeting pleasures of which we are wise to take immediate notice, as their silken petals will all too quickly flutter down like so many resilient snowflakes.

Click here to partake of varied haiku reflections on this year's cherry blossoms.

29 May 2013

River Rising, Lolo, Montana

Just when I was wondering why the river was still so low for spring, it seemed to rise high almost overnight. (Well, at least it seemed sudden to me, but then I’m still caught unawares by the morning light arriving long before 7:30.) As we walked across the foot bridge, my husband pointed out: 1) there is a direct correlation between the current river depth, a sudden absence of snow on the mountain tops, and four consecutive and very warm days we had recently, and 2) don’t drop your phone over the railing while taking a video of the rushing, woozy-making river below because your office prob‘ly won‘t appreciate it. Seriously love that guy. He keeps me grounded in all the best things and makes laugh.

28 May 2013

Mountains In Your Eyes, Lolo, Montana



More thoughts from Colleen Hull-Gray, today's guest post author.

I grew up on the Alberta prairies with an occasional trip that gave me a glimpse and deep love of the Rocky Mountains. After moving to Montana, I gorged on the beauty of various mountain ranges - Bitterroots, Sapphires, the ranges around Lewistown and the Rocky Mountains near Livingston. Eons ago Marie Osmond and Dan Seals sang, "Won't you meet me in Montana; I wanna see the mountains in your eyes."
No thanks. I don't want to see reflected mountains. Even in beautiful eyes. Just let me see the mountains.

27 May 2013

High Lights, Missoula, Montana,


Celestial thoughts came to mind when I looked up at the swirling lights in the high arched lobby of the Missoula Children’s Theatre. During my early years in rural Alberta, Canada, we were far enough north that the Northern Lights would wow us with impromptu light shows far surpassing any major laser and fireworks production. Even sans aurora borealis, an un-citied night sky never fails to move me to awe and simple joy at the wonder that is our nightly ceiling. I recently stumbled upon a site featuring night sky images merged with photos of some major city skylines across the world. If the wilderness isn’t out your back door, grab a cup of cocoa and a s’more (to pretend you‘re at a campfire, silly!), turn out the lights, then click here to bask in the lesser lights that really are up there,

26 May 2013

Lilacs, Livingston, Montana


Today’s thoughts are courtesy of Colleen Hull-Gray, who happens to be one of the loveliest sisters ever. Thanks, sis, for sharing!

Abundant. Everywhere. Never common. Hardy lilac
bushes grow in yards, vacant lots and public places in my native Alberta and adopted Montana home. Well groomed or sprawling wildly, I wait for the white, lavender, deep plum and light heliotrope blossoms to open enough to fill rooms with their fragrance. I passed a row of carefully pruned lilacs with a profusion of blooms today. Lovely. But so are the not so well pruned bushes behind my rented house. Time for me to imitate T.S. Eliot's character: "Now that the lilacs are in bloom
She has a bowl of lilacs in her room"

T.S. Eliot, Collected Poems, 1909-1962