River Time

I've been biking home lately trying to get ready for New Zealand. It's about 11 miles and usually provides a good warmup prior to taking Tiika out. Today, however, there was a strong headwind and I was pretty tired by the time I came home. It was time to hit the river!This is the Blackfoot River and as you can see, it's running high and fast due to spring runoff. A little too high and fast for me.
On the other hand, it doesn't faze our Tiika girl. I threw a stick and she launched herself off the bank. Here she is in her seeking position.
Success! In spite of being out in the middle of a strong current, she casually turns and swims towards shore. I envy her oneness with the river and her supreme confidence in her own self. Not making it to shore is just not part of her vision, so, of course, she arrives safe and sound.And she's ready to go again. This scenario was repeated many times until finally it was time to head home and make dinner.

Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday, for Mother's Day, Tiika and I took Jenn out for a Thai coffee. Of course this was after getting her a new outfit! I thought she might wear it on the plane, but she decided to show it off. She looks GREAT! After coffee, we went out for breakfast. The deciding factor for both places was that they had outside seating and allowed dogs.
This was an Irish variation of Eggs Benedict using sausage instead of ham and Irish soda bread underneath. Hmmmm, good! Notice the paws at the bottom of the picture, just in case anything was spilled. The Irish coffee was just the right finishing touch.

Jenn, Tiika and I wish all mothers out there a very "HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!"

Imagine....

A good friend of ours, Teri, shared this YouTube clip with us. On March 23rd at 8:00AM, passengers using the Central Rail Station in Antwerp, Belgium were given a real treat. I love the faces of the people watching the performance. This song is not even in their native language and is still able to transform them. Perfect strangers were all bound up in the sheer joy of the music and the air was filled with love. It reminded me of the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when he starts singing Twist and Shout. Two songs come to mind - Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" and Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World". This the world I imagine. I imagine Afghanistan singing and dancing. I imagine Iraq singing and dancing. I imagine people all over our planet coming together in song and dance and laughing. I imagine....

Spring continues to burst forth

Today was a great day to be out and about in the woods. Yesterday's hike showed me exactly where I wanted to go today! I am amazed and the difference one day makes in the spring. On the same trail where only 24 hours prior I had seen one wild bloom there were now probably a dozen of them. Mother Nature is nothing if not prolific.

I saw Rob's favorite, the Indian Paintbrush...















my favorite, the Shooting Star...















that most hearty of yellow flowers, the Balsam Root...







and even a lupine beginning to show itself...















What an exhibition of color! I love spring wild flowers.

(Oh and yes, and this was also a training ride to get my bottom ready for a few days of cycling in New Zealand.)

More Training For New Zealand

Today, as part of our ongoing training for New Zealand, we went to Maggotfest. You might ask, What is a Maggotfest? It is a Rugby Tournament with our very own Missoula Maggots hosting the teams. Click on their name to understand why they are called the Maggots. It is also the national sport of New Zealand where their team, the All Blacks, are world champions. They start each game with a very intimidating Maori war dance and then procede to demolish the competition. Unfortunately, we left the camera in the car and did not take any pictures. We did learn enough, however, to be able to sit in a pub and ask some pertinent questions.Speaking of pubs, we went to the Garden City Brewfest after the game to practice drinking beer and asking questions. Here are my two favorite girls getting ready to drink a cold one. Tiika thinks local microbrews smell the best! We met our good friends Tim and Sue there. Tiika seems to think Tim is going to share his beer. NOT! I've known him for thirty-five years and he ALWAYS finishes his own beer. One of our favorite bands, Reverend Slanky, was playing. Click on their name to hear some of their music. They have a great funk style and there were lots of people out on the grass dancing. I'm starting to like this cultural training. :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!

One other important meaning for May Day is that it is Mike's birthday! We hope he is sitting somewhere in Seattle in the same pose as when we took this picture in Missoula. Jenn, Tiika and I just wanted to say "Happy Birthday!"
Question: Who does he remind you of?
Hint: Look at his hand (and you have to be a Tolkien-freak)
Answer: Frodo Baggins!

Beltane (May Day)

To the ancient Celts, today is the first day of Summer. They rightly called June 21 Midsummer. It was a time for celebration as the earth softened under the longer hours of sunlight. Celtic days were measured from sunset to sunset, so the celebrations actually started on Beltane Eve (this is also the reason for Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Eve"). People would gather from across the land, bringing flowers and food. Every fire in every household would be extinguished. Two great bonfires would then be started with the wood from nine kinds of trees. Throughout the night, there would be music and song and people dancing. Leaping over the fire was considered to bring good luck to your crops as the height of your leap would equal the height of your harvest. In the morning, as the fires died down, each family would carry some embers back to their own hearth to start a fire. The people would walk from house to house led by the May Queen and her consort, The Green Man (the old god of wildwood). They were in a cart covered with flowers sitting in a leafy arbor. Their unity represented the sacred marriage of earth and sun. A Maypole would be erected in the village commmons and the celebration would continue throughout the day.