We had 4 glorious minutes of rain today! No, not enough to put out any of our forest fires but it sure smelled good, sounded good and it did give us hope! I know the thunder can bring lightening strikes but the sound of that thunder was wonderful. I love thunder when it rolls through the canyons and down into our valley. Sometimes it seems to sound like it rolls along the mountain tops for ever.

I have been keeping myself busy working with my craft projects. There is a celebration in town near the end of September so I would like to see if I can get some things together to offer for sale in the park.

And I did enter 8 photographs in the Ravalli County Fair. We plan to drive up to Hamilton to retrieve the photo's on Sunday. Of course, I am very curious to see if I won any ribbons on this batch of photo's but I will have to wait till Sunday afternoon and hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised. Of course, I will let you know!

Hiking Group Adventure

This week we traveled up the West Fork to the Nez Perc Pass and hiked on the Blue Joint Trail. This was one of the many beautiful views that were presented to us on almost every turn of the trail. As you can see the trail climbed quickly above the valley floor. The smoke from the near by Rombo Mountain Fire wasn't to thick on the early portion of this hike so we had a few opportunities to breath in some wonderful cold crisp clean air as we passed through a number of grooves of trees where the temperature felt up to 20 degrees cooler than in the sun.

We stopped along the trail and eat our lunches while admiring this incredible view! Food does seem to taste better out in the wilderness.

That's Idaho on the other side of this mountain.

As we were enjoying our lunch we were entertained by several Hawks and smaller birds that seemed to be curious as to why we were there. And of course the view held our attention too.

The temperature did warm up quite a bit further into our hike and crossing the small streams became something we looked forward too...as did Allie, K.s hiking companion that always hikes with us and leads the way up (or down) on all of our hikes.

I am grateful that K. brings Allie with her on our adventures as it makes me feel a bit more safe out in these animal filled woods. On this trip we did encounter a black bear but he wasn't interested in being anywhere near us. WHEW!!

This part of the trail signaled that we were close to the trail head where we had parked our cars. Yes, by this time it feels very good to be walking on some what level ground. I know my knees appreciated level ground as this was about 4 1/2 hours into our hike. Okay, back to the smoke filled valley of the Bitter Root.

Another wonderful hike to add to my list of beautiful places visited in Montana.

Another thought for the day

Paul Harvey Writes:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.

For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hanukkah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

Our forest Fires are back with a vengeance again. We have a fire burning to the southwest of us and 2 burning to the west of us. The sky was so smoky today that it actually blocked the sun shine. But fortunately we don't have to run the air conditioner since it has cool down quite a bit.

I entered some of my photos in the Ravilli Count Fair today...in Hamilton just to the north of us. We will know next Wednesday how I did. Stay tuned!

The rest of my winning photographs

I spotted this pretty little butterfly while JW was fly fishing. You can find picture opportunities in the strangest places!!!
This picture occurred in the middle of June when a rancher had his irrigation line running over night and the water hit a fence close by. The temperatures dropped to about 20 degrees on that night and fortunately JW's daughter saw it on the way to work on this cold June morning and we headed right down to this field and took pictures. We could hear the ice crack and popping as the temperatures warmed even as I snapped away with my wonderful Kodak camera.
This is the cute little fellow who posed for me after I had forgotten to take my camera on my walk. When I returned with my camera he sat in several different poses as if he knew I had missed the photo of a life time when he and his 4 siblings sat on the very came branch and I had no camera!This White Tailed Dragon Fly was found on the side of the house one sunny afternoon. He rested awhile then disappeared.
And this is my super prize winning photo! It received a first place ribbon then was voted Best in Show for the class. I was thrilled of course!! It was taken at the same location of the frozen fence that I had taken with all the ice. The ice had become so heavy that the limbs touch the ground. When we drove by the next day...after some warmer temperatures, these very same limbs were about 10 feet off the ground. I was so thankful for the opportunity to capture this amazing sight on film for everyone to enjoy.

My prize winning photo's

Yes I know there is a flash reflection in the middle of each picture but I did that to protect myself from anyone trying to copy them. But you can still get the idea of each picture.
The above picture was taken up the road from my house early this spring.
This is a picture of the chips after JW had done some machine work.
This is a scene in the driveway this winter after the snow melted then the temperature dropped and left this ice.
This is my favorite barn just up the road.
This is my favorite mountain...Trapper Peak... here in Montana.

I will post 5 more photo's tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!!

The last day of our Anniversary Adventure

This is our last adventure on our Anniversary adventure last week. On our way home we stopped at Big Hole Battlefield and went into the visitors center, which is run by the National Park Service. It's a beautiful facility with a viewing area just outside the front door.

The story behind this sight is a sad story in American history.
This is the actual Nez Perce encampment that the soldiers attacked during the battle at the Big Hole. These poles represent where the Indians had made camp thinking they were safe from the military when they were attached while asleep. This is a very emotional area as the present day Indians say they can still hear the screams and cries of the women and children during that terrible evening.

The Pass we came over to reach our home is named after Chief Joseph who fought in the Battle at The Big Hole. He traveled this way as the remainder of the tribe headed to Canada. When the Nez Perce finally surrendered, it was more from exhaustion trying to elude forces under Gen. Oliver O. Howard that from defeat. Their desperation is echoed in the words Chief Joseph reportedly spoke to Colonel Miles:

"I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed...It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death...My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever."

As we came over the top of the pass we could see that our beautiful valley was still filled with smoke. As of this writing, (Friday, 8/24) the skies are a bit more clear but we still have the fire burning on Rambo Mountain just south of us. We hope the day will come soon when we have nothing but clear skies and no more forest fires in our wonderful state.

LET'S RIDE THE TRAIN!

Our adventure on the Copper King Express was fabulous!! The train consisted of two Engines and two Passenger cars. We met the train at a unused depot in downtown Butte, and actually boarded the train right in the middle of the street! They just stopped right there and the traffic patiently waited for us to depart. Strange.
The entire ceiling of both passenger cars are actually covered in copper..after all, he was the Copper King and owned this train all those years ago.

It was a great ride and traveled at a slow speed so we could see everything and the gentleman did a narrative about what we were seeing.

The ride to Anaconda took about an hour and 1/2 and we saw deer, and even some Antelope near the tracks. The town was holding a "Alive After 5" in conjunction with the arrival of the Copper King Express. There was a band playing music from the 60's and 70's and the park across the street had booths offering food, crafts, and some raffles. They also had a classic car show in the street put on by the local car club.

I found a wonderful Ice Cream shop not to far from the main street. Yum!!! It tasted good right down to the bottom of the cone!!! Yes, Strawberry is my favorite flavor.
There were many buildings of this beautiful brick work in Anaconda. This is the old Fire Station that they have preserved as are many building here.

The train returned at about 8:15 to take us back to Butte. It was of course, still daylight but the train had trouble with the generator 3 times so we had to stop several times while they worked on it. So, unfortunately, it was dark before we returned to our drop off point so our sightseeing was limited on the return trip.

But we did have a stroke of luck on this great trip. When we boarded the train in Butte we invited an older couple to set at our table with us. Great decision! This two were born and raised in Butte and attended school there then married 56 years ago. They shared so much of the history of the area that we certainly didn't mind the delay in returning to Butte. Yes, we were lucky enough to get to sit together on the return trip too.

We made it into Butte, Montana by early afternoon and checked in. What a wonderful place...The Copper King Mansion! From its golden corridors to its lavish dining room, this 30 room red brick mansion exuded Victorian elegance.

William Andrews Clark, one of the wealthiest copper magnates, built it in the 1880's. The present owners have restored and furnished it with the period antiques.

We spent our first night in the bedroom that took up most of the right hand corner of this building on the second floor. The smaller window over the two entrances facing to the right was the Master bathroom.

This is the Master bedroom located on the second floor. And we were able to spend our first night at the Copper King Mansion in this very room. It has it's own large sitting room and a very spacious bathroom with a beautiful antique claw foot tub. If you click on the above picture you will see more detail of this gorgeous room with it's 16 foot ceilings.
The wonderful home is filled with amazing items from long ago. This dish set was very interesting displayed in this cabinet along a long hallway.
This is the mirror over the dresser in the Master bedroom...it actually matches the headboard of the bed!
And this is the dresser under that beautiful mirror. It was an amazing night in this room...It must be a happy place...I didn't feel any unhappy spirits here.

Day 2 of the Anniversary Adventure

After spending Wednesday night in a very quaint old hotel in Philipsburg, we drove to this ghost town and wandered around looking at the old buildings. There were reader boards in front of any building that still had remains there that explained what type of building it was and what took place there.

The town had 18 saloons, most just across the street from the Union Hall, several banks, four churches, and one school house. One newspaper, a hospital and a bath house for the miners needs.
This old building was the Granite's Miner's Union Hall that sat on Main Street. The top story was the town dance hall where dances were held every Saturday night. The lower floor held several pool tables where many miners past the evenings together.


The town, known as "Montana's Silver Queen", sat on the side of the mountain 4miles up Granite Mountain just outside of Philipsburg.

This very sturdy home was the Mine Superintendent's home. There were no stairs inside the house to reach the upper floor. Outside at the rear of the house is a door at the second floor level. It is believed that there were stairs to this door and it held what they think was the Superintendents office. Apparently the miners who came to the office we not allowed into the home. Obviously the Superintendent lived much better than the rest of the community!
This is a photo of the actual mine which is just south of town. The buildings to the right are where the material started to be processed before being sent 4 miles down the hill by aerial tram to the Stamp Mill.
This is the Head Rig that sits over the mine shaft. The devise raises and lowers men and equipment into the mine.

Because the ground was so rocky in Granite, there were no cemeteries to bury the town's people. They were taken down the hill into Philipsburg where they were buried in the cemetery there.

The last resident of Granite was a lady how lived here by herself until her death in 1969. Her home can still be found on main street.

Kirkville Stamp Mill, Wednesday afternoon

We drove around Phillipsburg in the afternoon and just about a mile or more out of town we came upon this abandoned Stamp Mill that had mined for silver. Billetallic Mining Company built this fifty stamp mill and mine offices at what was first called Kirkville and then became Clark. It opened in 1889 and doubled it's size in two years. It was the world's largest silver mine at the turn of the 20th century. The mill and mine closed in 1958 with a estimated total of silver and some gold productions of more than $32 million.
There is a lot of brickwork and stonework that still remains there today. It's amazing when you realize that all of these stones were moved here so very long ago. And all the bricks were made on site.
We believe these were probably kilns that lead to the smoke stacks seen in the first photograph.
This entire complex was originally covered with a huge building that apparently burned down many years ago. And all of this seems to be left just to go back to the earth.

These were the machine shops that were probably kept very busy keeping all the large machines running. Not to much left of them but they sure make great photo's.
At the entrance to this mill was what appeared to be a gigantic machine cemetery. There were many acres of really awesome looking old machines and parts that we sure wish we could have snooped through! I guess there isn't much call for 118 year old mining equipment these days!

That ended our excursions for the day as it was time to check in at the hotel in Phillipsburg and we were ready to sit down and put our feet up!! Tomorrow...Day 2 of our Anniversary Adventure!

The latest on our forest fire!

This is the latest news of the forest fire in our neighborhood. We are just 1 and 1/2 miles from Conner so we have gathered up things that are important to us just in case we need to go! A good website to keep up with the news of the fire is www.kpax.com It's our "local" TV station out of Missoula, Montana
Aug 20, 2007 07:20 AM MDT

Rombo Mountain Fire forces evacuations

Officials with the Ravalli County Sheriff's Department has ordered a Stage One Evacuation notice for residents who live west on U.S. Highway 93 South from Madison Hot Springs to Connor due to the Rombo Fire.

The order comes in addition to Saturday's evacuation of 30 structures from just south of Trapper Creek Job Corps Center south to Lloyd Creek is still in place.

In addition 35 Structures in the area from Lloyd Creek to Lavene Creek are on a standby to evacuate after the fire grew an estimated 4,000 acres on Saturday to over 17,000 acres.

Gusty winds kicked up the Rombo Fire both Saturday night and Sunday as the blaze grew an estimated 4,000 acres and has now burned over 17,000 acres.

So far no new evacuations have been ordered yet but with the high winds and extreme fire activity fire officials say that additional evacuation orders may be needed.

DAY 1 CONTINUED

After traveling over Skalkaho Pass we stopped at the Gem Mountain where we purchased a bucket of earth and sifted through it with a special screen and a technique that they teach you on sight. We did managed to find about a dozen Sapphire gemstones..three that are large enough to have cut and mounted into either a ring or necklace.
This is the area where you wash the material before going through it looking for gems. There are special tables where you dump the material and start going through it. They furnish you with a small canister to place your findings in. Many people were coming and going all the time we were there, and there were cars with license plates from many different states and Canada in the parking lot.
After we had finished going through all of our material, we took our treasures into their gift shop/snack bar area and had them tell us which ones were good. This service is free and you are not required to have your gems mounted at there establishment. The cost of the bucket of material ($12.00) is the only money we had to spend the entire time we were there. We had lot's of great conversations with other "miners" there that day. A very fun experience!
After leaving the Sapphire Gem attraction we headed on into Phillipsburg where we will spend the night. Since it was too early to check in we visited the Sweet Palace candy store. Oh, my gosh!!!! I gained 10 pounds just smelling all this great stuff. My pictures do not really do justice to this great place but you will get the idea!!! This is the sight you see as you come in the front door.
And this is a great candy tree...a kids dream. I loved all the wonderful colors. Enough suckers to last almost a lifetime!!! More yummy pictures will be posted later.

WE'RE BACK..WE'RE BACK!!!!

We had a fabulous time on our Anniversary trip this week.

Day 1...
We started our adventure traveling over the Skalkaho Pass heading East towards the little town of Phillipsburg. I had never been over this Pass so everything was quite unexpected. The majority of the road is almost classified as a one lane road...those going down hill are to back up to a decent spot so those going up can pass safely. This Pass climbed to 7,250 feet and there are no guard rails...just scary drop offs that go a long, long way down!! And when you are sitting on the down hill side of the vehicle, it seems like the edge is even closer!!! So I classify this part of the trip as a "Very gripping experience"!

The forest fire smoke was just as thick here as it was at home. This picture shows the road we will travel on just a few corners away. Behind that small group of trees across the valley is a truck with a camper on it and he didn't seem to slow down much on the corners or as he drove by us. We were very glad to see him disappear around the corner going on down the road.
This pretty waterfall was near the top of the pass. It's falling across rock that is very flat and quite red. I wonder what it looks like during the spring water runoff? The air was pleasantly cool here so we spent some time here before heading on up the road.
The smoke made the trees look very eerie as if they were all in a dense fog.
This was a great surprise as we passed over the mountain and started heading down the other side. I just happened to notice this little lake through the trees. That is a wooden walkway that leads all the way out to the lake. And after walking out to the lake the walkway span's out a hundred feet or so to the left and to the right. We could here eagles calling some where off in the woods. I was hoping we would have the pleasure of seeing a Moose near the lake but no one came to visit this day. But what a great discovery this lake was.

Tomorrow the story of our Anniversary trip will continue...Stay tuned for more adventures with pictures!!!

To Be 6 Again...

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday.

"I'd like to be six again", she replied, still looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day!

He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was.

Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down.

He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.

Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's.

What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, "Well Dear, what was it like being six again??"

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. "I meant my dress size, you dumb ass!"

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it wrong.

gincoleaves posted a picture that she had taken near her home in Switzerland and mentioned that I too had posted a strange picture of a dragon on my blog. I remembered posting it and I realized that I had not put an explanation with the picture. Please view her post of her strange creature at http://littlegincotree.blogspot.com/



This is actually a beautiful dragon that is climbing a electrical pole in China Town in Seattle, Washington. Many of the store fronts are decorated in this fashion with wonderful statues on the sidewalks. I love the architecture in this area.
Things are so different here in Montana! We were traveling up the WestFork road to visit friends the other day when we found these gentleman(?) traveling on the road too. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour and they were traveling about 40. No, they did not pull over to let us go by and the road had too many curves to attempt to pass. We had to follow them about 6 miles before we could get around them. I guess that's just the way life is here in good old Montana.