Library A-fish-iandos, Polson, Montana

“Hey, Jaxie! Word in the tank is Craig Johnson’s latest read will get you in a tailspin!”

I love public libraries. They each boast individual flair and coziness, but all share in common some of my favourite things: books and people who love books.

Upon entering the North Lake County Public Library in Polson, Montana, you’re greeted by dinner-size fish, who also love the library, making serene laps in a large tank bordering the children’s section. Part of my lake day was spent enjoying a reading nook which overlooks Sacajawea Park and Flathead Lake.

Onions, Onions - Ha Ha Ha!, Hamilton, Montana

Onion and chive flowers have always pleased my eye for their perfect globular shape, especially when contrasted against darker vertical lines of upright onion stems. Looking closer, you see a world within a world, seeds of tomorrow's harvest hidden in the fading glory of today.

Onion, Onions - Yah Yah Yah, Hamilton, Montana

"Ooooo.... I love onions!"  (Please, pretty please, click on the hyperlink & enjoy a favourite silly childhood song, lovingly foisted upon me by my delightful older sisters.)
I remember the onions in our family garden laying knocked over to cure. When they were ready, my mum or one of my grandparents would braid the tops together - particularly fascinating to the younger pigtailed me - to end up with lovely garlands of onions to hang in our root cellar over the winter.

Organic Childrens Garden, Daly Mansion, Hamilton, Montana

Heidi's Grandpa's garden couldn't have had a more beautiful mountain backdrop than the Organic Children's Garden at the Daly Mansion, just east of Hamilton, Montana.

Nesting Instinct,Hamilton, Montana

The entire time we enjoyed our fresh raspberry pie in the Daly Mansion gazebo, this birdy stayed on its nest in the eaves, watching us with one eye. It didn't even flinch as I perched precariously on a plastic folding chair to gain a better angle. Anyone know what kind of bird it is, besides dedicated and patient?

Benchwarming, Daly Mansion, Hamilton, Montana

An unnerving hard drive crash this week had me scrambling, and I missed posting the last two days. But I found a decent laptop and am back at it.
In the meantime, I squeezed in a delightful stroll with a friend on the Daly Mansion grounds. We also lingered in the Mansion's shady gazebo to enjoy the beautiful scenery & share a piece of fresh raspberry pie from the Coffee Cup in Hamilton, Montana.  - (Now why didn't I take a pic of that?! Oh, right, we were too enthralled with the tasting of it!) Should a waitress ever throw out a side comment that she waits all year for the fresh raspberry pie, I recommend you try a slice.It was all things ambrosial for a sunny summer day!

Mountain Water Irrigation, Stevensville, Montana

Ever since Marcus Daly dreamed up the Big Ditch in the late 1800s, summer irrigation has been a critical element of farming in the valleys of Montana's Bitterroot Valley.

Green Wingnut, Missoula, Montana

Upon moving to Montana in grade seven, I was introduced to wingnuts as a form of entertainment on a long walk to school. The seeds fall in abundance from maple trees that stand sentry on the more picturesque streets of many Montana towns. You basically scoop them up and throw them up in the air, then watch, mesmerized, as they spiral down to the ground. Through impatient testing, I've learned you can fling green ones aloft all summer long, but won't delight in their twirling flight of descent until they're fully dry in autumn.