Fall Colors in Montana

Just checking on how I have been remiss in posting lately. I so enjoyed the Fall colors in Fort Benton, MT this year and want to put them out for anyone interested to see. Hope you like them!

Montana Signs of Spring

A gaggle of goslings on a park pond, a dancing sharptail grouse and a whistling prairie dog were the first-, second-, and third-place winners of this year's wildlife category in the Great Falls Tribune annual photography contest.





I must say my seeing a prairie dog run across a busy street the other morning on my way home from work confirmed in my mind Spring has finally arrived. But, we are still seeing snow flying around here quite a bit as well. Another morning this week, my first feelings of seeing a white blanket on our lawns that are starting to turn green was very DOWN; however, my spirits rose when a few hours later everything was melted and back to my kind of liking.



Another sign of Spring here is the knock on the door from the sweet Girl Scout with our cookies. My husband thought I was silly taking a picture of the box, but this made me happy as well.

I am also wanting to try some of those Topsy Turvy growing bags with tomatoes or strawberries. I haven't tried my hand (or green thumb) with growing anything since my move to Montana a couple years ago. So I think with this feeling of Spring here, maybe now is a good time to go for it.

Happy Spring to you!

My Spring is Full of Colors

I love the snow taking a break from us for a while. Can't believe we are sporting temperatures in the mid to high '40s for the past few days.

This has made me do some moving around of things in my house -- something known as "Spring Cleaning". I have only bagged up one sack of things to take to donate, but know I will get around to more soon.





Keeping my fingers busy as night while working I have been stitching on a few more pieces. Then on the weekends I get to spend a little time in my sewing room. I am working on another quilt top and decided to come up with some patchwork blocks. Lots of thread and the humming of my machine happening with this one. I seem to be choosing brighter colors.



Well, I am told if I don't get off this computer and head upstairs, dinner will be gone. Hope you are getting into the "Springy Zone" and your world is filled with happy colors.

Fall Colors Are Flying By

I started taking pictures of the gigantic tree in our front yard. It acts as an umbrella to us during the summer months keeping the hot sun off our house and picture window. The tree is also a haven for us to sit under in a two seater swing or at the picnic table (not once did I use our colorful umbrella this year).



I have fallen in love with the branches and how intricate and woven they appear to be. So standing underneath with my digital camera, I started snapping photos. My husband thought I was a little on the crazy side of life at the time, but let me have my whim.



Then I started taking photos when the leaves changed and also noticed that this year in Great Falls, Montana we seem to have been blessed with a real season of Fall. Last year, it just blew through the neighbor hood and weather beat upon the leaves making them crash to the ground and become a swamp we could not even wade through.



I felt I had an angel appear from out of no where with a contraption I had never seen before and he vacuumed my leaves and I helped him empty into big yard sacks -- only asking for a donation -- "Any small amount will do," he said.

This year, the leaves have fallen a few at a time and been more manageable in raking and removing. I look at the tree and see it bare but am not depressed for winter will come and hopefully go quick enough that I can begin to enjoy the green and shade once again. Don't get me wrong, I do love all the seasons but will admit to being more partial to some than others.



Hope you are enjoying your colors, cooler temperatures, and the changing of the seasons.