Slightly Closer To Canada - Near Ovando, Montana

"The closer you get to Canada, the more things'll eat your horse."

- Tom Logan in movie The Missouri Breaks 

(Fortunately, we don't have a horse to worry about on this trip to Canada, and the wildest creature we've seen thus far was a lone antelope standing uncharacteristically in the middle of the access road, looking like he was waiting for the school bus.)

Flat Land And Sky Chance - Sunburst, Montana

"Rose doesn’t like the flat country, but I always did – flat country seems to give the sky such a chance."

- Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle

Lilies Blooming Where Transplanted - Missoula, Montana

In the last several years before my mum died, she shared lily and fritillaria bulbs to plant in the garden at my little Hamilton town cottage, where they still bloom gloriously and faithfully. After my move full-time to Missoula, Montana, several years back, I transplanted some of those bulbs to our Missoula yard, and then watched nervously each subsequent spring to see if they survived.  Yesterday, we were delighted to see the first lily blooms since the replanting. (Well, at least I was delighted; The Best Husband Ever was intent on washing our cars; his key observation was, "You better finish taking pictures now and move, or you're going to get wet.") 
This August marks ten years since my mum was herself transplanted, shall we say, to enjoy the beauties in Heaven's gardens. My heart is happy to again see in my front yard these living, blooming reminders of her gracious and giving nature. 

Pulleys And Sky - Missoula, Montana

"Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys."

- Emma Bull (b. 1954)

New Growth - Lolo, Montana

After turning onto Highway 12 out of Lolo, Montana, you'll travel through winding miles of standing burned timber set in an understory of scrubby but bright green new growth. I remember a too-long stretch of summer evenings three years ago when we stood on our porch in Missoula looking at the other side of these same mountains backlit with flames coming up from the Lolo side. Night after night, we prayed for rain. And we added to collective prayers for firefighting crews, and for friends of friends who worried about the homes they had to evacuate. 

Montana is an awe-inspiring place, but this butting up against the wilderness engenders a unique variety of concerns.  Getting close to nature is one thing; nature reciprocating can sometimes get a little too close for comfort.

Daisies At The Jack Saloon - Lolo, Montana

"Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them.  In fact, I'd try to have nothing else...If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds 

and I would pick more daisies." - Nadine Stair (allegedly)

(While we didn't pick any daisies yesterday, we certainly enjoyed their bright-eyed abundance on the gorgeous grounds of The Jack Saloon, up Highway 12 from Lolo, Montana.)

Favourite Things For Father's Day - Missoula, Montana

At our house, a cup of hot coffee counts as a heartfelt "I love you!". (And if it's for The Best Husband (& Dad) Ever, please be sure it's hot hot hot!)

Happy Father's Day to worthy - & aspiring & trying-harder - dads out there.