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Saturday, July 5, 2014

Fireworks

IMG_1805Many years ago when Michael and I first married, the community gathered donations and purchased fireworks setting off the fireworks on property owned by our friends Ken and Lesley.  The entire neighborhood attended and I have such fond memories of those July 4 times.   In Montana I’ve watched July 4 fireworks attired in coat, hat and gloves—last night it was warm enough for just a light jacket.  Our friend Geoff loves fireworks and donated the ones we watched at George and Shirley’s last night.  It was a delightful evening—tons of delicious food, lots of friends and neighbors, ending with a spectacular display of fireworks.  The weather cooperated sprinkling rain just as the party started but the sun came out shortly giving us this gorgeous rainbow:

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Today our social calendar was empty—thankfully, we both needed an evening of rest!!!  Michael spent the day in the hayfield and I spent the afternoon doing yard work—mowing and weed whacking.  I did manage to load a quilt backing onto the frame. 

Nat came for lunch as we have a wedding to attend tomorrow on his normal day for coming up the Boulder. 

Taking good fireworks display photographs has always alluded me until last night—I discovered a “fireworks” setting on my camera:

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Life is good!

Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy July 4, 2014

We had such a good time at Jill and Terry’s last night—Jill is an awesome cook, look at this July 4 cake she baked:

IMG_1789Each slice looked like a red, white and blue flag.  It not only looked good, it was delicious too!  Dinner was outstanding and so was the company.  Here’s some more last night photos:

IMG_1773IMG_1774Jill and Terry live in an old brick farmhouse which they have lovingly restored—Terry is a building contractor and Jill is a real estate agent/interior decorator with exquisite taste!!

IMG_1776Doug and MichaelIMG_1781Jill manning the grill.

IMG_1786Ben, Gayle, Mike and Doug.

We were rather late getting home last night but the cowboy was back on the haying equipment first thing this morning.  I finished another quilt this afternoon—I’m on a roll!!  Tonight we are heading to George and Shirley’s for another July 4 party—we are certainly the social butterflies this weekend.  Tonight’s party will include fireworks, sure hope I can get some good photographs!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Summer Has Finally Arrived

At least we think so!  Eighty degree temps and sunshine signal summer but there’s something else in our household which really tells me summer is here:

IMG_1771See these two guys, the cowboy is usually wearing a down vest and Nat always wears a cardigan—unless it gets very warm—the absence of those garments is a clear signal summer is here.

Yesterday I took a day off from quilting and chasing after Emmi and the cowboy by going to Bozeman with Jill.  We have a wedding to attend on Sunday and of course some new attire was needed.  There are also some great grocery shopping in Bozeman!  It was a good day spent with a very good friend.

Nat came for lunch today and I made a new ice cream—I love to try out new recipes and this one was a real keeper, chocolate mint ice cream.  The recipe uses peppermint extract as well as chopped Andes mints—it was so good I could have eaten the entire bucket full!!  But I didn’t—I really, really liked what the scale told me this morning and this is going to be a tough weekend for dieting—our social calendar is busy!

Michael had a major breakdown with the mower yesterday and spent the afternoon and into the evening doing repairs—welding, banging and banging.  The implement dealership couldn’t get a new sickle bar here before next week so the cowboy fixed the old one.  Haying is progressing:

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We are off to Jill and Terry’s tonight for a little gathering—should be fun.  Hope you all have a safe and fun July 4th weekend.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Haying, Quilts and Sunsets

It’s that time of year when Michael is out in the hayfields from early morning until late evening.  He didn’t come inside tonight until after 7pm.  He comes to the house for lunch then I take him water and snacks throughout the day.  Of course Ms. Emmi goes along to the hayfield—today he was cutting over on our former ranch—he cuts the hay there on shares with the owners.  Michael gathered some hay and tied it in a knot—watch what that silly dog does:

I’m quilting and quilting.  Here is one I finished last week and delivered over the weekend:

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Today I loaded and finished one for Shirley—a sweet, feminine little quilt—all done!

It was a beautiful July 1 day—about 74 degrees and sunny—are we finally going to have summer??  Let’s hope so for the haying contingent!!  Our flowers are stunning this year:

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Yesterday I tried to work myself to death—I declared war on the weeds.  I hate to spray herbicides under our aspen trees so my only other weapon is the dreaded shovel!!!  We also have these really sharp weed hooks on long handles.  Climbing up and down the hills around the house I chopped weeds until I thought my arms would fall off—yoga was painful this morning!

Sunset on Sunday night:

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Life is good.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Visitors

It was so cold this morning jackets were required attire for our walk—the wind was cold and howling.  Yep, it’s almost July in Montana.  I think by the end of this week we should see some 80 degree temps—I’m ready!!

Mom and Chuck arrived about 10am this morning—it sure was good to see them!  I think I’ve mentioned Mom is spending the summer cooking for a dude ranch over in Ennis, MT—a ranch where she cooked while my Dad was still alive.  The ranch has not had guests for several years and now the granddaughter and her husband are giving it a go asking Mom to return as their cook.  Chuck is helping out at the ranch and is also driving a fly fishing/rafting shuttle—all that training Rollie gave him is paying off!! Smile

We enjoyed a great visit and a wonderful Sunday lunch—pork tenderloin, smashed potatoes, melon salad and some more of that to die for coffee/dark chocolate homemade ice cream.  Nat was to have joined us but was feeling a little under the weather.

After Mom and Chuck left to head back to Ennis the cowboy mounted a tractor and started to cut hay.  I mowed the grass and played ball with the pooch.  About 5:30 I retrieved Michael and we headed over to the West Boulder.  He wanted to check on his road project to make sure it was dry enough for a gravel delivery tomorrow—it is.  It’s such a beautiful drive—saw this little family:

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Life is good!

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Small Town USA

Although the weather didn’t cooperate for most of the day, it was still a spectacular small town USA celebration in Big Timber today.  It’s late June and it’s rodeo weekend—friends and family from near and far turn out to celebrate our small town-ness making it hard to maneuver the streets and sidewalks without stopping to greet a friend and catch a hug or two. 

IMG_1698Jill admiring our friend Dava’s car—it belonged to her late dad.

I felt sorry for the street vendors selling goods and food—they were all having a hard time hanging onto their tents in the wind—with most of them packing up and leaving when the rain started just after noon.  But by the time the parade started at 2pm, the wind was still blowing but the sun was out and we found a prime spot for watching.

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IMG_1693The little children standing next to us began to shout, “it’s coming, it’s coming!!” and here the parade came led by our friend Stuart carrying the United States flag down the main street of our little town packed with people.  I love watching as off come the many cowboy hats and hands fold across our hearts in respect for the flag.

IMG_1702IMG_1704The volunteer fire department of Sweet Grass County, MT has a lot of equipment—it was all spiffed up for this parade and the fundraiser breakfast the firemen held early this morning. 

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IMG_1713I love this photo—the kid was looking right at my camera, he was tickled pink to be driving this old John Deere.IMG_1712IMG_1720

IMG_1740Our friend JoJo and her team of horses.

IMG_1734Even the dogs got to ride in the parade!!

And, not only is it rodeo weekend but our Carnegie Library is celebrating its centennial birthday—100 years.  A few years ago our library underwent an extensive remodel and is very nice and modern inside—the outside still retains its old time character.

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On days like today, I am so glad we live in a small town!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

A Surprise

Several years ago when we created a new garden spot below the house on the creek bank, I discovered a packet of seeds for poppy flowers mixed in with all the other garden seed packets.  I planted those poppy seeds outside the garden fence by the creek.  Notice I said several years ago—well finally—coming home from yoga on Tuesday I noticed a flash of red down by the creek and investigated—look what I discovered:

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IMG_1675Beautiful, vibrant poppies, their petals look like the crepe paper flowers we  made in school.  Today I discovered a pale pink poppy and there are several more about to open—I am so excited!!  We will also have a bumper crop of strawberries if I can beat the birds to them!  We didn’t plant a garden this year as we will be leaving for Alaska late July/early August.

Wow, am I ever tired—I spent seven hours on the longarm today and my back is killing me!!!  Seven hours bending over, stitching in the stitch.  But that deadline quilt is close to being finished!!  Michael is just as tired, he spent all day getting his haying equipment ready—the weather seems to be taking a break from raining starting about Sunday. 

Poor Emmi was feeling neglected—I did play a couple games of “ball” with her and in this photo her ball had become wedged in the rocks—she was so cute standing up looking inside that crevice as if to say, “come on, I know that ball is in here somewhere!!”  Her little tail was going strong!

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Life is good!