A Very Early Morning

The crack of dawn arrived way after we had been up this morning. I rolled out of bed around 4:30am so we could be in Billings by 8:30. I'm getting set in my ways since retiring--I don't like to get up early and if I have to get up early I am giving myself time to have coffee and read the paper.

In a nutshell, the doctors I saw today still don't know what is wrong with my mouth and hands. The vampires drew lots of blood after THREE sticks which has never happened before. One doctor biopsied my finger and that is a big ouch! So we shall see when all the results are back.

It was HOT in Billings today, 98 degrees. We had a nice lunch at our favorite restaurant, CJ's and then we started on the errands. I want to make Jazzy a bed that will fit the top of the antique trunk that sits at the foot of our bed. She wiggles too much to continue to let her sleep with us and since her last winter illness, she does not seem to like to be snuggled into her regular bed that has always sat on the trunk. So, I bought a foam pad and some fleece to make a bed and if she knows what's good for her she will use it or else it's the dreaded kennel which she and Michael hate!

A stop at Target and then on to Costco for lots and lots of groceries. We made good time shopping and were back in Big Timber by 4pm. Jazzy spent the day with Nat and was glad to see us.

As I write this we are getting lightening and thunder and a little rain--hope it keeps on raining.

A Sewing Day

Another beautiful morning in Montana. We, as in Michael and I and many of our friends, keep saying that it has been a beautiful, "normal" summer here. When I first came to Montana we had summers in which it was rare to see 90 degrees and hardly ever did we get over 100. The temperature always cooled down significantly at night making the need for air conditioning nonexistent. Then the drought came and we had weeks of 90+ degrees and forest fires for several years. Summer 2008 is quickly drawing to a close around here, the birds seem to be stuffing themselves for winter migration, the chokecherries are getting ripe and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. We like this kind of summer!

I decided when I got up this morning that since I felt so lousy, I would just treat myself and work on a sewing project all day which I did. I purchased fabric last fall for a quilt for our king size bed and I started on that project today. Because of the size of the pattern pieces, the quilt goes together very quickly and by the end of the day I was able to see what it would look like when finished--it is going to be gorgeous!

In the late afternoon, we rode the motorcycle in to town for a light supper. My mouth ulcers feel better when I eat things cold so a chocolate shake was on my menu and it did help. I have appointments with two doctors tomorrow in Billings trying to figure out what is causing these mouth and hand ulcers--lets hope they have the answers!

Such A Pleasant Day

It was a beautiful Montana day today, not very hot, sunny and pleasant. Later in the day the wind picked up which doesn't bode well for the forest fires around. Montana has several fires burning at this time, even one in Yellowstone Park. The largest fire this year so far is near Red Lodge, a small ski resort town about 40 miles from us as the crow flies over the mountains--yesterday the firefighters were even getting a handle on it but with this wind today, who knows. There is also a small fire that lightening started about 6 crow flying miles from us. We could see smoke and a red glow from it over the weekend--let's hope the wind doesn't send it this direction!!

Jazzy girl has an upset tummy and kept me up and down ALL night long so I have been a zombie today. I did take a long nap this afternoon and am feeling sort of normal again.

I got the laundry caught up and Michael worked on the garage. His daughter Shannen, our granddaughter Kristen and a friend of theirs arrived this morning about 9am to pick up a load of round bale hay. We have little use for the hay, only two very fat horses and Shannen has a herd of horses to feed so we usually donate to her cause. Shannen is a school teacher near Billings.

Not a very busy day but a beautiful one.

A Great Weekend

Our Vancouver Island friends arrived on Saturday about 6:30pm with sore fannies from riding all the way from Sturgis, South Dakota to our house. We met Jeannine and Garnet several years ago in Tucson, AZ. Garnet participates in the shooting sport, Cowboy Action Shooting, as we used to do. We have visited them on Vancouver Island, too. Their friend Donna was traveling with them, riding her own bike--very brave woman! We had a delightful weekend, visiting and doing a little sightseeing. We received lots of encouragement for attending Sturgis next year, we enjoyed hearing about all their fun they had while there. Don't know whether Michael and I are cut out for Sturgis or not, we will see.

The three of them got up early to get started north today and we joined them on our motorcycle for a while. We had breakfast in Big Timber then headed toward Livingston, MT saying our goodbyes in Clyde Park, MT. On our way back, we stopped at the home of our friend and realtor Gwen to discuss her trying to sell our land we own near Billings.

Yesterday afternoon on the deck--it was a delightful, cool evening and the pesky mosquitoes had finally settled down.

Sightseeing at Natural Bridge. Donna is on the far left, then Jeannine and Garnet.
Jazz found a new friend!
I baked a sour cream pound cake yesterday, using a recipe I have used dozens of time--guess I must have been talking too much to our friends because it was a mess--flat and way too dense. My friends were nice and all said it was delicious in spite of its strange appearance!!

A great weekend spent with good friends.

Road Trip

We got up this morning early and decided on a road trip. There was an auction over in the small community of Martinsdale and Michael thought he might find some treasures as if he needed any "more" treasures. The weather was cooler today so off we went. We took the Jazzy girl and a picnic lunch.

In Big Timber, friends Gemma, Ellen and Peg were having a garage sale and we stopped to browse there for treasures. We found an oak coffee table for a bargain price and we are going to recover the top in dark brown leather--should look good. I have been searching for a leather topped coffee table for a while and they were just too expensive, so now I am set! I all ready have the foam, leather and buttons.

The auction had not started when we got to Martinsdale so we were able to browse through all the stuff and quickly decided they did not have any treasures we needed. We continued on down the road and found a pretty little USFS campground by a creek and had our picnic lunch.

Tonight we are awaiting the arrival of our Vancouver Island friends Jeanine and Garnet. They have been to Sturgis on their motorcycle.

It was another wonderful day!

Electricity generating windmills near Harlowton. These photos don't do justice to the immense size of these windmills. They are HUGE!!

Jill's Birthday Party

Early yesterday morning, I got up on the roof of the new garage and helped Michael put the tar paper down. Our garage is now dry and we have ordered the roofing materials which should be here by next Tuesday. I was so excited, I went and got the truck and parked it inside the garage.

Yesterday was our friend Jill's birthday and she and her husband Terry's 32nd wedding anniversary. We invited them to have dinner with us here at home along with friends Jeane and Steve. I spent the day leisurely getting ready and cooking. I love to entertain and it seems to be even more fun now that I have so much retirement time! In the afternoon, we took the motorcycle into town, I wanted some limeade to make margaritas but of course our "wonderful" Big Timber grocery store had no limeade. I attempted to make my own with just lime juice but the margaritas didn't turn out well at all! I use a recipe given to me by a lady Michael used to work for, the margaritas have buttermilk in them--yes, buttermilk and anyone that has ever had one loves them! Our friends arrived about 7pm and we had a wonderful evening. Michael and I were married in the home of Jill and Terry and we have traveled far and wide with them--they visited us in Mexico this past winter while we were renting the house in Alamos. Steve and Jeane were some of the first people I met when I moved here with Michael--they have been friends of Michael's forever and Jeane bought my half of the store, Cinnabar Creek, from me many years ago. Jeane, Jill and I along with other friends hiked into the bottom of the Grand Canyon several years ago.

We have been invaded by a huge infestation of mosquitoes. In the time I have been living here, almost 14 years, we have never had mosquitoes like this. Makes being outside very unpleasant!

Our Vancouver Island friends, Jeanine and Garnet called this morning and they are in Sturgis, South Dakota on their motorcycle and will be arriving here at our house tomorrow evening. It will be great fun to see them. I got busy and cleaned the RV so they can stay out in it and their friend that is traveling with them can use our guest room. Michael was even motivated by my cleaning frenzy and emptied out the storage bay in the RV and cleaned it.

We are going to head into town, this week is the Sweet Grass County fair and I like to look at the exhibits such as the quilts.

Motorcycle Ride

We were having trouble with our internet service last night, so no blog posting. Yesterday we took off about 11am on a motorcycle ride. We went 250 miles on a loop through Harlowton, Martinsdale and back to Big Timber. The weather was nice and cool until about the last 60 miles of the ride. We had lunch and took our time, enjoying the scenery. When we got back to Big Timber, we stopped and had ice cream sandwiches (not on the diet) and noticed the black clouds building to the south toward home. We got it in gear and headed home getting sprinkled on a couple of times but about halfway up our driveway, less than a quarter mile from the house, it dumped and we got soaking wet. Those were the biggest, coldest raindrops! It was a great day.

The Ringling Church in the VERY small community of Ringling, MT

An abandoned homestead, if those walls could only talk!

Summer thundershower up the Boulder Valley

Rain is coming and soon.

I got really energetic this morning and went out with the weed sprayer and weed cutter. I cut and cut and came back with a Kawasaki Mule load of houndstongue and burdock plants--a good morning's work! Michael is out working on the garage and I have been doing some phone and paperwork.

This retirement life is the greatest.