Tansy At Twilight - Maclay Flat, Missoula, Montana

Pack in a lawn chair and sit awhile, cool your dusty, summer-hot feet in the Bitterroot River, maybe even at this same perfect spot on Maclay Flat just south of Missoula, Montana. 

“The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it. “ — Chinese philosopher

Small Yellow Dahlia (and Bug) - Rocky Mountain Gardens, Missoula, Montana

Meandering through Missoula's Rocky Mountain Gardens, this small yellow dahlia  captured my atention - each petal a perfect tiny scroll, Fibonacci swirled for our delight. (blossoms approx 1.5 inches) Seems the wee bug is a bigger fan, hanging out unfazed through my intrusive camera hovering!

Looking Up - Autumn - Leaves - Missoula, Montana

“She looked up. The sky was without cloud, a dome of lightest blue filled with air, great swirls and eddies of it, which you could see — just about — if you stared long enough. She breathed in deeply, and felt the fine dry air fill her with a buoyant optimism.”

-Mma Ramotswe, p. 85 in large type edition, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, a No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novel by Alexander McCall Smith

Neighbourhood Blooming Bright - Missoula, Montana

“My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness….”
-Mary Oliver (1935-2019) from “Messenger,” in her collection Thirst.)

Setting Sun-filled (Flower) Smile - Missoula, Montana

“It was a transporting thing, that smile, as it had probably been all her long life, and I felt its power to fix you where you stood (or sat, or fell); it lifted her beyond age, in a way that the other women present, with their more effortful looks, were not lifted.” -The Poet’s House by Jean Thompson, p. 35

Tamarack Display - Near St. Ignatius,, Montana

“ THE WISHES on this child’s mouth
Came like snow on marsh cranberries;
The tamarack kept something for her;
The wind is ready to help her shoes.….”
- from Helga by Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)

World of Wonder - Arlee, Montana

Two complementary thoughts to ponder from Kevin Kelly’s 99 Additional  Bits Of Unsolicited Advice : 

—--“That thing that made you weird as a kid could make you great as an adult - if you don’t lose it.”

—--“When a child asks an endless string of “why?” questions, the smartest reply is, “I don’t know, what do you think?” “

(Sincere thanks to Tim Ferriss, for the reading recommend!)

Last Light - Missoula, Montana

“And the fairy-light is fleeting ...”

-from The Last Light by Ernest Charles Jones

Impending Autumn Leaves - Missoula, Montana

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf."

 - Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

Weight Of The Autumn Sky - Missoula, Montana

"And see the peaceful trees extend
their myriad leaves in leisured dance—
they bear the weight of sky and cloud
upon the fountain of their veins."-  from Envoi by  Kathleen Raine (1908-2003)

Golden Glow - Missoula, Montana

Thursday night, snow flurried amidst the headlight crossfire during my evening homeward commute. 

By Friday lunchtime, we were again ensconced in this sunny - albeit intermittently so - golden glow. 

Such are the varied and fickle delights of autumn in western Montana. 

Fair To Middlin' - Missoula, Montana

"I've been to the highest of highs and lowest of lows, so one day I'm going to find my middle ground and be happy." - Cheryl Cole 

Centre Bright - Missoula, Montana

"He that has light within his own clear breast 

May sit in the centre, and enjoy bright day: 

But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts 

Benighted walks under the mid-day sun;

Himself his own dungeon." - John Milton (1609-1674)

Seeking Sunshine - Missoula, Montana

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” - Joseph Addison (1672-1719)

Yellow Petals - Missoula, Montana

"...each floweret, chilled by the night air, expands its pure petals; the gentle breeze shakes from the blades of grass the heavy dewdrops." - John James Audubon

Bright Spot - Missoula, Montana

Despite the persistent heat, Mount Sentinel boasts vibrant varieties of blooming wildflowers, including this bright blanketflower.
In the interests of preserving natural flora, aforementioned blanketflower included, the M trail is rife with signs reminding travelers to keep to the trail. Bear in mind that the main path to the giant M consists entirely of ELEVEN huff-puff inducing switchbacks, divided amongst 620 vertical feet, with only steep and wire fencing in between. I have to wonder if these admonishments exist thanks to some crazed coed who hopped the fencing only to slide, screaming like a banshee, 600+ feet to the trailhead. THAT would definitely be a diversionary trail sighting! But bad for any wildflowers en route. So let's hope the signs are merely a theory-based preventative.

Weedy Brights - Missoula, Montana

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.  - A.A. Milne (1882–1956)

Full Bloom - Missoula, Montana

“The... branches are bowed under the weight of the flowers: blooming is hard, and the most important thing is - to bloom. “ - from “A Story About The Most Important Thing’ by  Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884-1937)

Domesticated Buttercup - Missoula, Montana

"The buttercups, bright-eyed and bold,
Held up their chalices of gold
To catch the sunshine and the dew..."
- Julia C. R. Dorr (1825-1913), Centennial Poem, Line 165

Mapley Goodness - Missoula, Montana

As a kid, when our family headed into town for a special treat night at the W & E drive in, I invariably agonized over choosing the best ice cream flavour for that day - but we could always count on my mum getting her standard favorite: a maple walnut sundae. Good times.

Today's pic is a whole other version of mapley goodness - a bursting, bright fountain of delicate flowerets heralds the unfurling of tender-new claret-hued maple leaves. Goodness all around - before our eyes, in our hearts' memories - ours to feast upon.