Apple Destiny - The Good Food Store, Missoula, Montana

"It was ideal apple-eating weather; the whitest sunlight descended from the purest sky, and an easterly wind rustled, without ripping loose, the last of the leaves on the Chinese elms."

- From In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Churchill, On Becoming - Missoula, Montana

(Pictured quote from A Far Country by Winston Churchill (1871-1947), American author)

Sitting on our porch last evening, spitting watermelon seeds into the grass, I read the last sentence pictured above and paused in distinct recognition. I have oft and long pondered this unbecoming toward becoming, this onward journey to resting more easily at self-honest, this revealing of anchored deep knowing that I cannot make anyone happy but yet I do inherently bring joy to the Lover of my soul. 

And what is all that but a back-to-the-beginning, a refined return to a much, much younger self's innocent unawareness that there even exist worries of I-am-not-enough or I-am-not-as-good-as? 

I say "refined return" because, while we may have bemoaned the fact that we will never be a naive child again, the truth is that we are actually better off for having been subject to life's intensities - we know what shaken foundations look like but also that there is an infinitely more Sure Foundation worthy of our trust and our building upon. And this is why we can rest easy. Not because life as we know it is "perfect". And certainly not because we are "perfect" - hah! (Yes, those are, indeed, sarcastic finger quotes,) And this is a very good thing.

Should this remind-full resting be further down the becoming path than you have yet seen, please persevere, and pray.  And let me know - I will add prayers to your bucket. 

'50s Farm Truck, Rear View - Missoula, Montana

dieseltip#215 
"some trucks may never be more than a beat up old work truck. 
that doesn't mean that it still won't be your favourite."

Thanks to Thoroughbred Diesel for the just-right quote. 
Read more dieseltips at their tips page here. 
They've posted quite a few doozies! 

Bottling Sunshine - Missoula, Montana

"A book is simply the container of an idea like a bottle; 

what is inside the book is what matters."

 - Angela Carter (1940-1992)

Thistle, Weed, And Wind - Missoula, Montana

"...The wind is not helpless 

for any man's need, 

Nor falleth the rain 

but for thistle and weed..."

- From The Music, in The Collected Works of William Morris: Love is enough : Poems by the way by William Morris (1834-1896)

Rose - Missoula, Montana

"...Of course an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than you altogether, since she's the one I've watered...Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except for two or three for butterflies). Since's she the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose..." 

- from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

OutaLine Saloon - Missoula, Montana

Montana-style hospitality is ready and waiting - recycle bins included! - for this summer's Rockin' the Ranch block party. The bands start at 5:00 PM - put on your dancin' boots and head on over!