My new office:
Views from my new office:
Let's just say that I'm very much enjoying my life right now.
Other fun things:
Huckleberry picking day with Greg and Noël! We were quite successful.
Oh, yes, and I celebrated my 29th birthday (more pics on Facebook and on Picasa)!!! Greg took me flying . . . or should I say, I took HIM flying?
We flew over the alpine lakes and rugged mountains of the beautiful Bitterroots:
Here's one of the dresses Greg bought me in South Africa (I haven't received the other one yet!) - and it fits perfectly! I wore it out to my girls' night birthday celebration at Shadow's Keep.
On my first Monday of freedom I hiked to the top of Mt. Sentinel:
Last week Greg and I (and Molly! - yes, she would be the green Subaru in the picture) went down to Hamilton and hiked up Blodgett Canyon to pick rose hips.
Soon those rose hips will be turned into some yummy jam . . .
The creek was bone-chillingly cold, but Greg found it quite refreshing as he basked in the sunlight:
Then we spent three days up on Flathead Lake at the annual Bear Hug contra dance camp . . . and when we weren't dancing, we sat on the shore and drank in the dazzling sunlight:
The good weather continues here in beautiful Missoula, and I continue to spend my days in various parks and green spaces around town, reading, writing, and, yes, taking the occasional doze in the sun. I LOVE IT!
Lots of pics and few words, because pictures are more interesting anyway, right? (Though as a writer I suppose I'd better not really believe that . . .)
Enjoy.
Back to June and Alaska . . . and magnificent Denali
The Baker Beauties (this was BEFORE the bear got them . . .)
Sunrise (not that it exactly ever set . . . ) over our campsite at Toklat
A midnight shot after our writing and wine night
Summer ain't summer without a trip (or seven) to the Big Dipper! Guess who DIDN'T order the huckleberry ice cream!
A mariposa lily, giving a shy smile
Setting up camp at the June Shy Bear contra dance
Oh, those tree huggers! Just can't get away from 'em!
Stacey in the lupine
Basil being fierce (or just tired?) in the laundry basket
Afternoon sunlight and glittering summer bugs by the river
Sending Greg off to Namibia (only 16 days left, though!)
What's this? ANOTHER Big Dipper trip??
A lovely and oh-so-quintessential picture of Tricia and Benjamin (and, for that matter, Miriam)
Yet another typical, not to mention traditional, picture: Tricia and I on the Welcome Creek bridge
We spent a lot of time at Franklin Park's splash park . . .
. . . and got just a tad damp.
We also ate lots of yummy food . . . mmm!
Adult swim night at Splash Montana!
Which happened to be the same night two kids set Mt. Sentinel on fire--we had great views of the fire and smoke from the top of the water slides!
~400 acres burned
I've also spent a good few weeks doing a very late spring cleaning.
The contents of the Recycling Cave of Death:
The newly-organized RCoD:
I also decided to paint the meditation room (finally!)
Despite the strong paint smell, Basil's curiosity got the better of him:
and the lure of the window was too great to resist.
A job (mostly) well done!
I also washed the rugs, and then sat out on the balcony and read while they dried. Mmm, balcony.
The last big project was rearranging the living room thus, and suddenly it seems much more spacious. Huh.
But I had plenty of time to play, too! Here we are in Butte, heading downtown to the National Folk Festival
For those who seek an alternative energy mode of transportation:
I also decided to plant a garden this year--though I bought starts rather than plant seeds:
They were so little! So cute!
And for some reason I didn't anticipate how much they would grow!!
So now everything's a little crowded . . .
but it will still all taste very, very yummy.
the best of both worlds: mint chip and huckleberry
