A Walk in the Rain

Kalispell, Montana -- Woodland Park, June 9, 2012 -- Started out a raining/sleet pelting day. Ended up beautiful, wet, and memorable. Hope you enjoy these pictures. I find this place enchanting. A place of love. The tile gazebo is something new to me. One of the tiles had 2003 on it. I moved from the area in 1994. Glad to see it only gets better every visit.

Viewing History

What was it like? I can remember asking that question to what I considered "elderly" people when I was growing up. Granny would tell of how hard day-to-day farm life was. Mom (my foster mom, in her 60's then) would tell of her daily chores, of walking more than a mile to the one room school house. My foster dad would tell of the first radio coming to the "mountain", of moving to the "big city" of running water in the house, of the first cars, of working for the CCC's and making park trails as part of his work with them. I got to visit the one room school house often as it was the community center years later on the mountain and we would have dinner socials there to then travel around to the small cemeteries to decorate the grave stones on Memorial Day. What was it like? I didn't want to ask Junior of his time in Vietnam. His life and health was changed forever there. He wouldn't apply or accept diability even though he was stricken with the worst form of Psoriasis over 98% of his body. This only from his time overseas during the war. History wasn't my favorite subject in school. I found reading about it in a book to be somewhat boring. Now I find that viewing pieces of history and talking with those that love it (my husband and son) can be very interesting. It amazes me how much my 14 year old knows. He has always loved the history channel. My husband reads constantly about past wars and can tell you time periods on most things of history. So I am going to plug again about a wonderful museum for you to venture to if you are ever in the area of Polson, Montana. It is called Miracle of America Museum and they boast a person can spend anywhere from 2 to 6 hours there. We spent 2 hours but plan on going back some time soon to explore more. There are 5 acres and I don't think we got past 2 acres. My cameras were flashing as well as my daughters. Click here to see more pictures Miracle of America.

Rainbows and Memories

Last weekend my family traveled to Kalispell, Montana to attend my uncle's funeral. The weather poured like our tears did for this wonderful man. I can't remember a time or visit with him when he didn't smile or make me smile. He always made good conversation and seemed genuinely interested in whatever I had to say. That means a lot to me especially from my childhood days. This man will be thought of and stay in my memories for years to come. I am blessed to have known him. My aunt, (his wife) and I talk on the telephone almost once a week and I have been making it a great effort to try to travel the 4 hours one way to spend time with her (them) while the snow is off the roads. In a conversation a week or so before my uncle passed away, I remember my aunt and I commenting that we don't see rainbows in Big Sky Country like we use to. I first moved to Montana when I was 21 and everything was so new, wonderful, and different. I could not stop marveling at the skies. Now I marvel at them still, but life has become so "hurried" at times. I forget to take the time, to step out on the porches at home and be in "awe" no matter what time of day or evening. Even so . . . on my sad travel last weekend, the rain/sleet ended after the funeral. My family didn't want to spend time in the hotel room and bother my exhausted aunt with more people so we ended up driving and viewing important lovely spots in Kalispell and Whitefish, MT. Rainbows were found. I was able to smile. Our travel and spirits were lightened. Hope you enjoy the photos I snapped. One is on top of Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana. The other is at Woodland Park in Kalispell, Montana.

My Kind of Valentines

Last weekend my family stumbled upon a very unique museum (Miracle of America Museum) in a small lakefront town called Polson, MT. I had passed by this place many times over the years that I first lived in Montana and would take road trips onto Missoula for some fun and shopping. I fell in love with a display of Victorian Valentine cards and snapped photos. They just don't make love notes like these anymore. Glad they are in a glass case to be preserved. Wish I had artistic talents like the ones who created these lovely pieces of history. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Tourist Traps I Say NOT

On a recent visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield, we concluded our visit to the park by stopping at a "Trading Post" just outside the exit. I can remember when moving to Montana years ago it was always fun to stop by St. Ignatius, MT Trading Post when I happened to be headed to Missoula, MT for more adventures. These memories caused me to say to the kids, "let's stop here" for you to have a look see at what treasures might be inside.

My husband immediately piped in "tourist trap". I did somewhat agree with him as I remember family trips to the Smokey Mountains as a kid and my parents saying the same thing.

I found the scenery inside and out inviting at this "tourist trap" and my daughter did get to purchase a little tote bag with a zipper on it that she is using on a daily basis to hold her hand held game system. So my camera came out and I played tourist at this stop. Hope you like the views we saw that day. And me personally, I would recommend everyone stop in and take a look see if you are ever in the area.