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.)

bird tree

Whew! The holidays are finally over...we created our last event celebrating ChriSolstiNew Year yesterday afternoon with a snowshoe into the woods.

It used to be the tradition in this household when going out to find a Christmas tree, to decorate a tree for the birds. We weren't prepared to do it on that day and decided to pick another day to so instead. That day turned out to be Sunday.

Rob purchased a suet brick, a nut block and a seed bell and I popped some popcorn to string. Sunday morning we spent time stringing said popcorn with only some mild cursing from me while I got the hang of it. (I hear Gretchen used to be a pro at this particular task...)

Once we felt like we'd strung enough, we packed up the truck with our shoes, the feeding supplies and the tree. Tree? I forgot to mention that the other reason for heading out into the woods was to return our tree to it's home in the forest. (It's the one standing next to Tiika in the picture above.)

You can't really see the goodies from a distance, so here's a closer shot. Yum for the birdies! Hopefully the squirrels won't be able to get to them.

The air was pretty frigid so we didn't stay out too much longer. All in all, it was a good trek. (Teal and Gretchen were missed though...family traditions may change over time but heartfelt memories never do.) We'll head back out at some point to retrieve whatever skeletons might be left behind. We certainly don't want to be litterbugs!

hearts in my path

I was thinking the other day that I neglected to say anything about the things I'm thankful or grateful for in my Thanksgiving post. It was all about food! Well now, food is important, I grant you that. I enjoy me some good eating, especially when it's been prepared with love.

There are a few other things that I'd like to give thanks for. Actually, it many ways, it boils down to one thing: the hearts in my path.

I have had the great good fortune to have gathered around me, near and far, a number of wonderful people to love and be loved by. This circle includes friends and family.

Recently I have been reminded of these connections on my hikes with Tiika. I've been noticing in my path, literally, a multitude of hearts. Mostly they are rocks embedded in the dirt but sometimes moss, sticks, or plants have created a heart for me to notice. I've begun to make it my habit when I see a heart in my path to bring one of the real heart connections I have to mind and give thanks for that person.

Today we are going out to get a Christmas tree. We haven't had one at our place in several years since we are usually traveling at this time. We're planning to bring it home, dress it up while a Christmas movie plays (Scrooge anyone?) and then wrap the presents that have been piling up. I'm even planning to indulge in a little eggnog.

In the meantime, Rob is making another foray into hollandaise sauce and poached eggs. Yum! Definitely important ingredients in the making of a good day.

Peace Park

Since Saturday, the weather has been glorious here. Freezing cold mornings give way to lovely, sunny, warm (50's) afternoons. It's supposed to hold until this Saturday and then the rain will move in.

Though I was knee deep in chores all day Saturday and wanted to get more done on Sunday, Tiika needed to get out. (Honestly, so did I.) I got going early Sunday morning and we headed into town for a hike over Waterworks Hill and through the Peace Park set up by the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center. I even remembered the camera to document our hike. Enjoy!

This is the best pic I could get of the peace sign that dominates the area. It replaces the peace sign that used to live up there on an sign owned by Qwest that no longer stands. It was a great town landmark and I'm very glad the Peace Center put together a new one in a similar location.


This is a close up of how the sign is made. It is a collection of mostly white fabrics. I saw everything from t-shirts to sheets and towels. They are all anchored by rocks. Some of the rocks are painted white, some are not. Others have messages painted on them. All were placed in hope for peace.


Of course, some people will walk right through the symbol of peace! She didn't disturb anything though, just pranced through without a care in the world.























And this one is just plain goofy! I look like I'm enjoying myself though, don't I? I've got my shades and my tunes, the sun is shining and the wind blowing through my hair. All was good.

men in camo

Yesterday Tiika and I went to Crazy Canyon for a hike in the forest. When we arrived I heard a lot of whooping and hollering from the woods above the parking lot. At first I thought, "Those folfers are having one heck of a time today!" but then realized the noise wasn't coming from the direction of the folf course. I remembered the last time we were up there we ran into some cross country runners training so I thought perhaps they were psyching up for a meet. Either way, I shrugged my shoulders and we were off.

I was huffing and puffing up the hill and not really noticing anything too far off the trail until all of a sudden I realized Tiika had stopped and was watching some movement in the woods to the right of us. I looked more closely and listened, it was a crew of men in camo running a training exercise, complete with guns. Aha, we'd found our whooping and hollering friends. It freaked me out a just a bit to see them wandering about with those rifles. Some of them noticed us passing by but didn't say anything. I had to call Tiika away because she looked about ready to launch at them or at least let loose with one of her hound dog howls.

We continued on the trail until Tiika paused again to sniff at something on the ground. It was a camo man lying on the ground behind some bushes. I jumped. He said something to me about hiding or a secret. I'm not really sure and I wasn't going to ask him to repeat himself. I whistled for Tiika and kept on walking without looking at her, hoping she hadn't just given him and his location away to his buddies walking the forest above looking for him. She trotted toward me and he commented, "Good looking dog." I said thanks and we kept on moving.

After about 40 minutes, we were on the last stretch of our hike and heading down to the parking lot. I heard the same whooping and hollering coming from below as when we arrived. It was the camo men gathering to head out. As we arrived at the end of the trail, I saw the last guy get in a truck and then a government van pull away. I'm not sure if it was ROTC or National Guard or Army but it was official, whatever they were doing up there.

So, what did you do last night?

Father's Day

Yesterday we went on a great hike up at Lolo Pass to see the wild camas in bloom. It was gorgeous. After the camas bloom dies, the bulb is a tasty source of nutrition, at least it was seen as such by the Native Americans. Since I've never tasted them myself, I'll have to go on faith for that one. What I do know is they put on quite a display this year.

The pictures don't show it as well as I would have liked but in person, the blooms looked like lakes of blue across the meadow. Especially in the first two views below. You can kind of spy it along the right edge of green.


Two intrepid travelers loping across Packer's Meadow. I don't know the history of it other than the fact that Lewis & Clark passed by here both coming and going on their voyage.

Part of the reason the bloom is so spectacular this year is the amount and timing of the rain we've had this spring. It has created a lovely meandering stream and bog, too. Moose are frequent visitors to this meadow though we didn't see any yesterday.

If there's water, you know Tiika must swim!

And then shiver a bit because it was really too cold to be swimming in that water. Didn't really seem to phase her though.

TaDa! A closeup of the reason we were there...aren't they lovely?