Traveling East, Looking Back - Belgrade, Montana

"Beyond the East the sunrise, 

beyond the West the sea,

And East and West the wander-thirst 
that will not let me be;...

For the seas call and the stars call, 
and oh, the call of the sky!..."

- from Wander-Thirst 
by Gerald Gould (1885-1936)

Quiet Riot Of Colour - Missoula, Montana

"I know that if odour were visible, as colour is, I'd see the summer garden in rainbow clouds."

- Robert Bridges (1844-1930)

Guest Post: Morning Comes Early - Corvallis, Montana

One of the benefits to waking up early ... amazing sunrises.   

While staying at Brother #3's Montana home, the dawning day's sky drew me outside. Dressed in a hoodie, brother's shoes, and my PJ'S, I was glad the only other creatures stirring were some quail and deer!  

- Pat R.

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"...Tell me how far the morning leaps—

Tell me what time the weaver sleeps
Who spun the breadth of blue!..."

- from Bring Me The Sunset In A Cup by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Shoemaker's Lasting Craft - Garnet Ghost Town, Montana

"...Rap, rap! upon the well-worn stone,

How falls the polished hammer! 

Rap, rap! the measured sound has grown 

A quick and merry clamor. 

Now shape the sole! how deftly curl 

The glassy vamp around it, 

And bless the while the bright-eyed girl 

Whose gentle fingers bound it!..."

- from Songs Of Labor - The Shoemakers 
by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

Train Tracks Crossing the Clark Fork River - Missoula, Montana

"Now train tracks, hour upon hour, were leaving always to the past, to the land falling away behind the West." - Ivan Doig (1939-2015), This House of Sky, p 110

Guest Post: Bitterroot Haven - Corvallis, Montana

Hooray for guest bloggers! 

Today we hear from Pat Richards (aka Big Sister #3). Since Las Vegas is their home base. Pat has been soaking up the outdoors and relishing Montana's summer daytime temps that are well below their accustomed 108 degrees Fahrenheit.

To see more of what Pat has been up to this year, check out their humanitarian travels at www.JourneysWithGod.com.

Thanks for sharing today's lovely thoughts and scenery, sis.

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Early morning stillness creates a haven where my heart reflects on the beauty of creation.  A tiny ecosystem filled with vibrant life.  Nature's beauty refreshes my soul.  I leave, ready to face the day.

Unlike my walking companion, an energetic short legged Pembroke Corgi named Trixie,  who pauses only to consider the next tantalizing scent along the path. 

-Pat R.

Never Too Late - Missoula, Montana

This little shock of new green caught my eye - unrepentant, these late-springing greens shall have their day in the sun along with their earlier-matured kin. 

"...Nothing is too late, till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate..."

- from Morituri Salutamus: Poem for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Class of 1825 in Bowdoin College by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow