Canyon Clouds, Mill Creek Canyon, Corvallis, Montana

Spring in the Rockies basically means winter’s not yet over.

The ritual first mowing of our lawn in Hamilton, Montana, was blessed with sunshine and blue sky peppered with fluffy white clouds - which contributed intermittent flurries of pellet-y snow! After late March weather in the balmy 60s F, our daytime forecast this week dips back below freezing. Good thing I procrastinated tucking any sweaters up on the top shelf.

Streaming View, Victor, Montana

Sunday found me driving down the Bitterroot Valley to work at our little house before showing it to a potential buyer. The roadside views were gloriously distracting; thankfully, I had time to stop and capture some of what caught my attention.

Reflected,Identity, Clark Fork River, Missoula, Montana

The “M” on Mount Sentinel is part and parcel of Missoula’s identity - not quite the same way “M” contributes to the identity of James Bond, but still important. Peer closely to see the zig-zag trail leading up the the massive letter, & add it to your list of hikes when you visit the Garden City. (A half hour of heavy breathing never hurt anyone, right?)

Curvaceous, Missoula, Montana

Spring has sprung in Western Montana, despite a couple weeks of setback to blowing and snowing.  The canal spanned by this curvy bridge is running with water, and the bench seat invites to stop for a calming look, or sit and read a good book.

Shadow and Light Reflections, Missoula, Montana

"My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun..."
 from "Binsey Poplars" by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Corinthian Column, Missoula, Montana

An example of architectural features to be observed on a historic walking tour of downtown Missoula, Montana.

Time Keeper, Missoula, Montana

"Of all, clock makers and morticians should bear the keenest sense of priority - their lives daily spent in observance of the unflagging procession of time ... and the end thereof." -- David Parkin's diary, January 3, 1901  (from "Timepiece" by Richard Paul Evans.)

Thanks to my sis, P., for this quote. It was a good exercise to find a subject in Montana to accompany!

Willows and Water, Missoula, Montana

Especially for you, today: spring saplings of sunlight, fresh from Montana's Garden City.