by Marlene The famed Southern Pacific 4449 steam locomotive rolled into the Flathead last Saturday. Westbound along the Amtrak Empire Builder route from Minneapolis to Portland, it had a lay over in Whitefish. Parked just east of the train station, the public was invited to take a look. You didn’t have to be a train buff to appreciate the magnificence of […]
Freeze Nips Colors
by Marlene Now Then The cold snap that gripped the valley a couple of weekends ago is gone and with it are the sunshine yellow, pumpkin orange, and crimson red leaves that have captivated me each fall. Record low temperatures in the Flathead Valley and 6 inches of snow in Kalispell have nipped the colorful shades of autumn in […]
Pick of the Crop – Getting Ready for Winter
I had a hair cut the other day and the stylist asked me if I had completed all of my winter yard preparations. “No,” I answered and thought of all of the last minute things that needed attention. For example, we needed to turn off the water to the outside and store the garden hose, […]
Lunch in a Strawberry Patch
Hiking the Strawberry Lake Trail and Having Lunch in a Strawberry Patch Finally, we reached the alpine lake at the top of the mountain. Mom led us to a clearing with short bushes surrounding us. It was protected from the harsh wind and it was the best place in the whole area to eat […]
National Parks: America’s Best Idea
by Marlene This picture is of the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park and bears the inscription “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people”. Last Sunday, we began watching the PBS documentary, National Parks: America’s Best Idea. Part one is titled “Scripture of Nature” (1851-1890). It focuses on Yosemite with its outstanding beauty and […]
Preparing for Winter – The Ant and The Grasshopper
With bow in hand, gazing over the yellow grassy fields and up at the clear blue sky, I began to listen to the silence. It was silent save for the chirping of the grasshoppers… In a field one summer’s day, a grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s […]
Last Hike before Fall
Sunday was the final day for vehicular traffic along the west side of the Going to the Sun Road from Avalanche Creek to Logan Pass. We took our final drive of the season on Saturday up to the pass and hiked out to Haystack Butte via the Highline Trail. It was a popular day […]
TEOTWAWKI
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it […]
The Weather
by Marlene The Pond at Woodland Park – Kalispell, Montana If you follow this blog, you know that I occasionally talk about the weather. That’s because I have found that people are curious about Montana weather. I’ve been asked about the weather by those romanticizing about it and scoffed at by those who think Montana […]
Track and The Threshing Bee
It was a busy weekend here in Northwest Montana albeit a hot one. Skies were clear and humidity low, but temperatures hovering around 80 to 83 meant summertime heat for Saturday’s track meet and Sunday’s threshing bee. M and E have been going to cross country track and their first meet was held at […]
