Snowy Field Grass - Missoula, Montana

“I know a man who walked to the edge of a field on a snowy day…. stood in the pillowy silence and gazed out on the snow-muffled trees … The quiet was simply staggering. The man's heart was filled to bursting with the beauty of it, so he lifted his arms to God, closed his eyes, and worshipped.” - How to Worship A King by Zach Neese, Preface

River’s Influence - Yellowstone River, Livingston, Montana

“Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour, and is not reminded of the flux of all things? Throw a stone into the stream, and the circles that propagate themselves are the beautiful type of all influence.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Nature

Favourite Tree - Bitterroot Valley, Corvallis, Montana

“It was his favorite tree and he

would sit in its shade all day

and smell the flowers.”

-from The Story of Ferdinand

by Munro Leaf, Drawings by Robert Lawson

Spring Football Field - Missoula, Montana

I never really thought about it before, but: Where else in the world can you watch football surrounded by views like this?!  You can check out game day pics and stats here from Montana Grizzly fans, who must be among the most grateful sport enthusiasts...

Vast Layers - Mission Mountains, Montana

Random thought on today’s work outfit:

Interesting that structured layers in clothing visually reduce (ie you’ll never know I’m perplexed at sneaky fat regions! Well, except, now you do…), but structured layers in mountain ranges visually reveal an inkling of vastness.

Guest Post: Up Over The Ridge - Corvallis, Montana

Alas, visiting Sister #3 has hied herself home - just ahead of the worsening wildfire smoke infiltrating the Bitterroot valley. Thankfully, plenty of Montana's iconic big sky was in view for most of her stay, as evidenced in today's guest post.

Thanks again, sis, for sharing your Montana perspectives!

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Up over the ridge, adventure lies 

waiting to be discovered. 

Who knows what treasures 

will be found, up over the ridge.

 Up over the ridge, I plan to go, 

someday soon.

 I'll pack my lunch and go 

exploring, up over the ridge.

 - Pat Richards

Guest Post: Rainbow Promise Morning - Corvallis, Montana

Today's guest blogger is once again Big Sister #3 (I don't think you should ever get too old to appreciate the before-ness of older siblings), who has enjoyed some amazing scenery during her stay. (Hurrah for people who take early morning walks and share their lovely views!)

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Rainbows are filled with promise. 

They appear almost magically where sunlight and raindrops intersect, birthing a brilliant swath of color. 

The the scientific explanation is no less amazing (learn more here.)

 "I have placed My rainbow in the clouds as a sign of My promise until the end of time, to you and to all the earth. ." 

- Spoken to Noah and his Family in Genesis 9:13

Grab a hold of the promise of today, for like the rainbow, opportunity is often fleeting.

- Pat Richards

Looking Upward - Lolo, Montana

"I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward."

- Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)

Fence Walk - Missoula, Montana

Fresh snow before I left Montana two-ish weeks ago.  Summery Sri Lankan weather makes that seem a very loooong time ago.

Keep walking along with the Sri Lanka trip at JourneysWithGod.com .

Evening Nigh - Corvallis, Montana

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it... Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." - Andrew Wyeth  (1917-2009)

Still Expansive - Livingston, Montana

"There is more time than there is expanse of the world and so any voyage at last will end." - Ivan Doig (1939-2015), This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind

Sunset Spectacular - Livingston, Montana

The sunset splendour in my rearview mirror increased to the point that I finally turned around just outside of Livingston, Montana, and drove back up to a side road with a clear view to the western mountains. It was a soul-satisfying stop.

Grass Seeding - Missoula, Montana

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." - John Calvin (1509-1564)

Upswept Sky - SouthWest Montana

“The prairie skies can always make you see 

more

than what you believe.”

- Jackson Burnett, The Past Never Ends

Windswept Wideness - South of Anaconda, Montana

"Life is wide. There's room to take a new run at it." - Ivan Doig, 'English Creek'

OutStanding Individualism - South of Anaconda, Montana

"You look at a herd of cattle and well, they all look the same... but they know. They all have an individual personality, and those personalities change from day to day. They can have their grumpy days and their happy days and their serene days. But it's unpredictable. You can't be off in outer space when you're dealing with animals." - Chris Cooper

Daisies Reaching, Lolo, Montana

It’s almost as if the daisies - precocious dreamers, all - are reaching, aspiring to the lofty cloud example.

Fort Shaw Splendour, Central Montana

If, during your Montana road trip along Hwy. 200, you pull over to read the historical marker sign at the Fort Shaw, this is the view you might see - or a very gloriously comparable one.
A different angle of how history brings new perspective to our lives.
(Zoom in to read the sign in the second photo.)

Courage, Ray Froehlich Trail, Missoula, Montana

“But courage does not consist of a lack of fear. Only a fool has no fear. Courage is the ability to get the job done in spite of fear. He got the job done.” - Thomas Sowell, of Chuck Stone (1924-2014) intervening in a hostage situation

Walking - or simply being - amidst Montana’s vast wide-openness recalibrates situational perspectives, and engenders hope to displace worry. 
I highly recommend it when courage needs replenishing.

Last Cutting, Victor, Montana

I'm no agricultural expert, but given the recent snowstorm on the Divide, probability is high that this is the last cutting of hay in the Bitterroot Valley. 
But the weather won’t stop the flow of tasty tamales, cinnamon buns, ethanol-free gasoline, and more, right across the highway at Casey’s Store.