Let's visit on the Porch II (drainage, blossoms, insects)

[happiness is]

Awesome weather weekend to work outside in the yard. I put up my bamboo pole/plastic sheeting greenhouse over the container garden. Here are some photos.

[Mt-7]

So motivated, great photos.

[Montana Griz]

Hey folks I gotta tell you......................

Today I spent about 3 hours at the computer both on the outside deck and by an open window in the den.... The temp got up to 75 mid afternoon and thus the beautiful weather seemed to awaken and make various forms of local wildlife become very active. I observed and "listened" to the following
animals and "game birds" over about a three hour period:..............................

Saw 2 cow elk;.....9 White tail deer (3 with fawns);.....3 chipmunks; and one coyote.....all within 200 feet of the house....................and now the "birds":...............................

I heard 2 pairs of California Quail call back and forth for about 1 1/2 hours and then saw one pair fly right past my window;........one or more male Pheasants "crow back and forth";...never saw them.
a single Pileated(sp?) Wood Pecker announce his territorial boundries--man they are loud--;...I saw him just for a few seconds;...several Flicker Wood-Peckers staking out their territory;.....heard and watched a Peregrine Falcon circle and then "make a spectacular dive" into the woods next to my place;..watched a very large Red Tailed Hawk circle for several minutes overhead;....and lastly, saw a Marmot (wood-chuck) run across the driveway.
The creek across the end of the property is running heavy with run-off.......so I'm sure that is a positive thing............

I do think this "establishes a record" for me in all the years I have lived here, to see & hear this many in just a few hours. ...........Montana....."what a Great Place to Live".

[happiness is]

Update - more containers freshened with compost and fertilizer and the irrigation in place. A few pots planted with radishes, bush peas, and lettuce. Now I just need luck that wind and hail doesn't shred it all.

[Mt-7]

I think all of nature is enjoying this spring weather.

[Wurzig]

As usual, it took ‘forever’ to drive almost 900 miles to Missoula. I’ve made that trip 3 times in the last 5 weeks-- go, go, go…… (I always wave to E.H. as I am passing through the Acme area). We had a bit of rain but I can’t remember exactly where……maybe north of Sheridan through the Crow reservation area……it was enough to get the dust off the car, soak the bugs off the windshield but not the bumper…those danged things stick like cement! I was so grateful for daylight savings……we made it before dark. The snow was at the highest elevations this trip…..none down by the road and no horrendous winds this time.

We stayed at the Marriott on Reserve again and we slept right by the river…..I just love to hear that sound…..so relaxing. Friday we unloaded the dorm and then took our girl and her friends out to dinner….my kid chose Famous Dave’s.…(my husband and I ordered a lot to make sure that there were doggie bags for the starving girls….LOL).……the car was LOADED to the max…girls have so much stuff. Saturday we got up before sunrise to curl hair, nails, etc…….she was so excited and happy! It was pretty chilly early in the morning but it rapidly warmed up and it turned out to be a beautiful day for a graduation! The (big) ceremony in the stadium was just the 2nd to be held there…(I noticed the new stadium lights right away).…a PHD Blackfeet Indian Chief walked in with other speakers in his grad robe…….right before he got up to the podium, he shook out a full headdress and put it on……he sang a song to the graduates…….we couldn’t understand a word he sang, (he did tell us about it though), but it was very impressive. (Later on, we learned that he is our daughter’s friend’s uncle). I don’t imagine too many schools have this……to us, it was very special! We then hiked over to a very nice brunch on campus and later had the smaller ceremony for her division. Her 2nd ceremony was held on a lawn….it was so pretty……everything was green, leafing out……birds chirping……very, very nice. It was a long day, but we had reservations in Billings, so off we hauled……again. (Singing the Willie Nelson tune here!) Leaving the gorgeous campus and Missoula made me sad……and I didn’t even go to school there……I just love that area……it’s so pretty. My girl and her pals were pretty sad when they parted company……plenty of tears. We got to eat breakfast at Stella’s again…YUM..…just look for the Crown Plaza Hotel, (it’s one of the tall buildings—I think downtown just has @ 3 tall buildings that you can see from the distance….one is a bank)……and you will find Stella’s that way…..

Like Montana Griz and many more of you, I am so proud of my girl! And I am so glad she chose University of Montana! Most of her professors were excellent and made themselves available to the students outside of class.

You won’t believe this one. We were in Crow territory and I wondered if I would see the single, white horse walking down the frontage road again…..well, I didn’t. Instead, I glanced way over into a field and saw a horse running very fast towards the frontage road area……everything happened so fast—I had to do a lot of quick looking because I was going 75 mph.......I wondered why he was running so fast and quickly glanced in the direction he was running……well, he was trying to escape with all his friends, (at least 7, including a brand new colt/filly???)……they had knocked down a good part of their fence and they were all roaming down the frontage road---they had just gotten out because there was no ‘lemming’ direction yet---some were going this way and some were going that way and some were confused and turning around to go the opposite way! This was not the same ranch as before, but it was in the same area…just a bit south of the Battlefield Museum…I just had to smile and hoped that the owner would corral them before bad juju would happen.

On this trip, I saw more antelope than before, (well over 100---more antlers this time, too), very few deer this time.....wild turkeys, geese, ducks, seagulls, a few big birds the size of turkeys, but their feathers were reddish-brown and they had very long necks, (longer than geese), bending down into the grass looking for bugs, (have no idea what they were), an eagle, (flew over the car again), not groundhogs, but the little ones that dig holes and stand on their mounds on their back legs, (shoot, can’t think---they are near my house, too, and cause trouble)…not meerkats…..

To me, it’s interesting that antelope will stand less than 50 feet from cows…..the cows don’t care…… But I never see antelope near horses………

Montana is such a beautiful state! I hope the next time I go I will have time to do what I want to do…I love the forest area around Missoula…..I want to check out Sapphire Mountain and for some reason that I can’t think of right now, Philipsburg…..maybe a gem mine is there... Glacier is high on my list. So much to see…….
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]

[Wurzig]

P.S. I made my run to Wally in Missoula and bought tons of huckleberry 'lickwish'......I have given it out as gifts, plus I love it, too... A gift shop in Fort Collins sells it, but for almost double of what I buy it for at Wally.....grrrrr.. I am already having mental withdrawls (about running out), and I have at least 10 packs of it sitting on the kitchen counter.....

[Wurzig]

Prairie dogs?

[Montana Griz]

.......Hey Wurzig.................................

Glad you had a safe & enjoyable trip. As you mentioned, I'm sure your daughter was somewhat sad about leaving our beautiful area & the U-of-M.
Your description of the "grad" ceremonies outside reminded me of mine "under the Oaks" of Saint Ambrose University.........some 58 years ago! I'm sure it is a day your daughter will never forget.

The next time you make a trip up here to Montana from the Ft. Collins/Windsor area let me know ahead of time.. if you can allow a full three days (or more), I'll send you a route (all good paved roads) that will really "blow-your-mind" as far as fantastic scenery, historic & very interesting places, great restaurants & overnight lodging that you'll really enjoy. When we lived in the foothills west of Boulder (for approx 16 years)......I used to take the "back roads" up to Ft Collins and then take my "special-route" up through WY.....into Idaho ......and then into Montana and end up over here in the Bitterroot... Have made that trip no less than 25 times over the last several years.

Oh, and BTW, how did you like the weather we ordered for you?.........You should have stayed a few more days......................it was about 85 yesterday (Monday) and supposed to hit 89 or 90 today

Since you folks really like our area......................have your daughter enroll for some "graduate studies" up here........................then you can have a good reason to make the trip a few more times.

[Wurzig]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

.......Hey Wurzig.................................

Glad you had a safe & enjoyable trip. As you mentioned, I'm sure your daughter was somewhat sad about leaving our beautiful area & the U-of-M.
Your description of the "grad" ceremonies outside reminded me of mine "under the Oaks" of Saint Ambrose University.........some 58 years ago! I'm sure it is a day your daughter will never forget.

The next time you make a trip up here to Montana from the Ft. Collins/Windsor area let me know ahead of time.. if you can allow a full three days (or more), I'll send you a route (all good paved roads) that will really "blow-your-mind" as far as fantastic scenery, historic & very interesting places, great restaurants & overnight lodging that you'll really enjoy. When we lived in the foothills west of Boulder (for approx 16 years)......I used to take the "back roads" up to Ft Collins and then take my "special-route" up through WY.....into Idaho ......and then into Montana and end up over here in the Bitterroot... Have made that trip no less than 25 times over the last several years.

Oh, and BTW, how did you like the weather we ordered for you?.........You should have stayed a few more days......................it was about 85 yesterday (Monday) and supposed to hit 89 or 90 today

Since you folks really like our area......................have your daughter enroll for some "graduate studies" up here........................then you can have a good reason to make the trip a few more times.

I'll try to remember to take you up on it. When we lived in S. CA., it was a solid 2-day drive........(longer than from FoCo)...... At that time, we went through 5 states, including a good part of ID.

It's such a long drive but I think if the WY. scenery were 'more cheerful'......it's hard seeing the Tetons and Yellowstone off in the distance when you are on I-25, but we've always been in a hurry to get there asap, so.....

Yep, she is definitely missing her friends already.....parting was not easy.....genuinely sweet girls.......no drugs, no back stabbing, on budgets, tried hard in school......I am grateful that she has such wonderful friends in her life....

I keep thinking of the gorgeous clock tower......I finally got to hear all the bell chimes going off when the graduates were lining up...... She said it is annoying if you are in a class, but I thought they were beautiful.

She has been accepted at UNC, (close to the house), but she is tired of school for now and is having 2nd thoughts.....we'll see how it goes....

It was in the low 80's here today as well, but there is a fire in the Poudre area above Fort Collins so we are keepign our eye on it. It's several miles from here, but we do see the smoke plumes and wind is going to start up tomorrow...... Been there and done that too many times in S. CA., so we are on a bit of an alert.....