Long Shadows And Light - Bonner, Montana

"There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast." - Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

W Is For Wilma - Missoula, Montana

The past few evenings have been so warm and lovely - a far cry from the drastic cooling  and rain forecast last week! The lingering end-of-summer days make it hard to come indoors as the sunset wanes to full-on dark. Thankfully, Missoula's downtown main drag is a great place for an evening walk - and safe, being brightly lit and having lots of people out and about. My habitual jaunt loops up one side of Higgins Avenue to the old train depot and back down the other side to the Wilma Theatre, which is in the throes of restoration and upgrades. The signature W lights mark the turnaround point to head back to my car and to home, and - wistfully - inside. 

Reserved Parking - Missoula, Montana

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice." - Tim Vine

Open Sky - Missoula, Montana

"...But moments do not pause or linger

Caught in a vortex of wide-open sky..." 

- from "Of July's Fading Fringes" by Janet Martin

Read the full text of this and other evocative verse at Another Porch...A Poetry Blog.

Sunday Mass, St. Ignatius, Montana

A trip up the Flathead Valley is made extra sweet with a stop at the St. Ignatius Mission. 
It’s like icing on the cake. (Homemade rum cream cheese icing that‘s not too sweet.) 
And if you’re patient, a gap between other visitors allows time to (quietly) play the piano. (That’s dark chocolate sauce on the cake's tippy top.)
On the airy whoosh of the inner chapel doors closing behind you, the words “holy hush” fly to mind. Interior visuals to come this week will help illustrate this, but you really need to experience it in person.

Nursery Neon, Missoula, Montana

The garden is Open!

Caras Nursery is one of Missoula's wonderful garden centers, and so much more than just a plant source. Throughout the year, they play host to varied community events, as well as garden-related classes. Whatever the season, a meander through their landscape is a delightful escape, and just a few minutes from the busy-ness of Reserve Street traffic.

W is for Wilma, Missoula, MT

If Elmo were to visit Missoula, Montana, he might conclude that "W is for Wilma Theatre"!
The Wilma is a fully functioning historical downtown icon that sports retro signage and a tin ceiling in the front entry overhang.

Sign of Sunshine, Haugan, Montana

The sun was shining brighter than, well, a silver dollar - or even 50,000 of them!- in spite of fire haze still lingering. When I was a kid, this all-encompassing travel stop on the I-90 route to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was the 10,000 Silver Dollar Store. You can buy a silver dollar for a buck & they'll add yours to the collection.