tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57948254066726886322024-03-14T01:21:43.809-06:00The Complete Sale of Selma LeeMeredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-10201892869542200152012-10-10T22:56:00.003-06:002012-10-10T22:56:48.961-06:00Quote of the Day.D - That's why they make sweaters in New Zealand. They have sheep and they have button trees.<br />
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M - ...Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-25967740336015574822012-08-22T22:34:00.004-06:002012-08-22T22:34:39.257-06:00Quote of the Day.Describing why I particularly like a photo of his -<br />
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M - It's dramatic yet subtle... intimidating yet quiet and thoughtful.<br />
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D - Just like me...Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-21850461538844864922012-07-20T22:35:00.004-06:002012-07-20T22:35:44.502-06:00Quote of the Day.D - Maybe this doesn't deserve the bad rap I've always given it.<br />
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While woofing down some Panda Express!!!Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-41668881593009565202012-04-11T20:36:00.001-06:002012-04-11T20:42:14.712-06:00Quote of the Day.D - Just like dinner. You can have a rhubarb named Job or you can have a rhubarb named Job.<br />
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(Dinner did not come with many options. Last weekend D assessed my sedentary ways and accused me of being "too typical" a housewife. I countered that the best way to dispel such inevitability was for me to stop cooking dinner so much. He's had to make dinner for the past four days. It's been epic. Tonight - Waffles and Sausage, or Sausage and Waffles. No Eggs!!!)<br />
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(D is not inherently a bad cook. Nor does he dislike cooking. He just has issues doing anything other than exactly what he wants to do when he wants to do it. And for some reason, cooking dinner never seems to be what he wants to do on week nights...)Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-89413309291223030352012-04-10T16:21:00.000-06:002012-04-10T16:21:08.158-06:00And now, for more pictures than I've ever put in one post...Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.<br />
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D and I did a three day backpack. We did the same thing in April last year, but the snow pack was huge and snowshoes were involved, and our three day became two days after we lost spirit. (And because essentially all backpacking in Craters is off trail, and besides the little adjustments to avoid particularly nasty lava flows you pretty much just pick a line and go in that direction, it makes cutting things sort, perhaps, a little too easy.)<br />
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This time we loaded GPS coordinates of several interesting landmarks
into D's device and tentatively headed for one of them each day, with
lots of time for wandering around and finding good campsites in between.<br />
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First - obligatory photos of lava fields!!!<br />
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Black Lava.<br />
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Red Lava. <br />
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You can occasionally find easier walking in between the lava... <br />
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Harder walking, right over the top.<br />
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Despite essentially covering similar ground we saw many neat lava features we didn't see before, and didn't see many neat lavas features we did see last time. I believe, if you were to walk a line of latitude straight across Craters, and then move 300 yards north or south and walk straight across it again, your experience would be completely different. The smallest changes in the nature of the lava change how you hike so much, and the lava just changes constantly, there are so many variations.<br />
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All of the lava however, works your feet! I never take my shoes off while hiking, but in Craters, exceptions were made.<br />
Shoes off break. <br />
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As the map says - Crack.<br />
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Lava swirls.<br />
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The above rock led to an amusing conversation.<br />
Look D - there's an avocado!<br />
An avocado?<br />
An avocado.<br />
An avocado tree?<br />
No, an avocado.<br />
An avocado pit?<br />
No, an avocado.<br />
Is it a rock?<br />
Umm... yes, it's a rock. But it's an avocado!<br />
(Shows D avocado rock)<br />
That is an avocado! <br />
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(Maybe this is where I should mention that it was stunningly cold both nights, which led to me getting maybe 2 forty five minute naps the first night, and maybe 3 the second... our conversations were not groundbreaking...)<br />
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Found. The Bridge of Tears. D descends one side. <br />
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Trees on the edge of the other side of The Bridge.<br />
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Photo Credit D.<br />
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D's light reflecting off icicles under the bridge. <br />
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The 6 foot tall cairn we somehow missed last year when we tried to find The Bridge... not sure how that happened as it is situated on the highest bit of ground around the bridge and is therefore viewable from about 3 miles away... the small cairn in the photo below is sitting on top of the bridge. Which makes it pretty easy to see why GPS coordinates help with the locating.<br />
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(It should be noted that bridges in Craters are usually formed when two sides of an underground cave collapse, leaving the roof of the middle of the cave a bridge. Not exactly Canyonlands here...)<br />
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Lava. Above is Pahoehoe. Below is Aa. <br />
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I like to pronounce Aa as "AAAAAHHHHH" because that is what goes through your mind when walking through/over/on top of it. <br />
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When plotting a trip to Craters on the map, "Prairie" and "Pahoehoe" are your friend :)<br />
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Besides the lack of comprehensive snow cover, there were a few of these darlings peeking out. <br />
Exceedingly more spring like than last year.<br />
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If you can find smooth enough lava to not constantly be watching your feet, there are pretty much constant mountain views. </div>
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The second night we hiked up the cinder cone next to our campsite as the sun set.<br />
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Spot the green tent below. At the edge of the sage fields and near the cinder cones and buttes you can find patches of cinder beach which makes for nice camping.<br />
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The view from the top, looking out over a lava flow. <br />
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D surveying. You can see a few snow patches in the lava field below. Snow being the rare water source at Craters, makes backpacking trips during this time of year a necessity, unless you like carrying all your water with you.<br />
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We stopped at a nice looking snow patch in the afternoon on the second day. Where we had a shoes off break, ate, and melted a lot of snow :)<br />
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The moon was bright and out early in the evening. <br />
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On top of another cinder cone on day three, we were treated to some seriously wind blown trees. Even when the sun is shinning full force, Craters is often freezing cold from the wind.<br />
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This is Idaho sunbathing -<br />
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Toward the end of the third/last day, we intercepted some established trails. This is D showing what the tree would have looked like before the lava surrounded it thousands of years ago. He's standing in a Tree Mold that would have covered more than just his knees, except there was at least a foot of snow in the bottom.<br />
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We finished around 1pm on Day 3 as we desperately needed burgers, and there was an 8 hour drive home awaiting us (including an ice cream break at The Big Dipper in Missoula). <br />
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At that point where we were almost at the car, but had just far enough to go that you still have to pay attention I started thinking about the most abusive places to hike... and decided to re-establish the DefCon system, which in my mind was more like DeathCon, which switched to DeathHike... like - "Oh, my gosh, we've hit DeathHike 2!" Except I thought that instead of each level having a number it should have a place... and based on my own personal hiking experience, this is how it played out - <br />
DeathHike 1 - Grand Canyon<br />
DeathHike 2 - Craters of the Moon<br />
DeathHike 3 - Death Valley <br />
DeathHike 4 - Zion <br />
DeathHike 5 - (I was going to say Yosemite, but only because of a particularly abusive hike where I barely ate all day and vomited multiple times on the trail... sorry if you happened to be one of the people waiting outside the pizza place at Curry Village... that couldn't have been pretty... but the conversation devolved at this point and I never decided for sure...)<br />
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D did <a href="http://bedrockandparadox.com/2012/04/05/the-very-small-and-the-very-big/">a post</a> too... but he's also doing a write up for BackpackingLight.com so he wasn't his usual verbose self.<br />
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While Craters certainly deserves time and attention, and one trip is not quite enough to see everything, I do think D and I have reached that nice, thorough level of understanding with Craters. Neither of us left, dreaming of what we'd do when we go back. I'm sure we'll go back... and I'm sure Craters has many more secrets yet to reveal to me, but I'm left with a satisfied feeling that will keep it low on the To-Do list for a few years.<br /> Not a bad thing.<br />
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</div>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-36319213199245429102012-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:002012-03-21T18:36:15.946-07:00Quote of the Day.I hand D a plate with dinner and sit down beside him -<br />
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D - I'm going to put on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, to keep you entertained and minimize the possibility of you annoying the crap out of me.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-7395886650537324502012-03-09T16:36:00.000-07:002012-07-10T16:56:36.665-06:00Corned Beef and Cabbage : Part 1 - An ExplanationI adore Corned Beef. I call it Meat Candy. Starting when I worked at a Kosher <i>style</i> deli at 15. We would get in the full brisket, shave off the top, fattier, chunk to use in reubens or other warm sandwiches, the fat melting and keeping the meat from getting dry. The leaner sections being trimmed up, by hand, in store. I did my best to be an expert at slicing the meat so thin it should have fallen apart, but didn't.<br />
<br />
When I moved (both to other work and to other places, particularly small towns) I gave up, to some extend, on having corned beef all together, because what's the point in getting the sort of stuff they have at Safeway... it will pass if all else fails and you can get the attendant to cut it thin enough...<br />
<br />
At some point a few years ago, I noticed all the briskets for sale around St. Patty's day. I had never thought of getting one before, because the thing in the store looked so much different than what I had handled at the deli. The pieces were all considerably smaller and I didn't quite believe they were the same thing... or what to do with them if they were.<br />
<br />
Research commenced. The internet is an amazing place. I read up on several variations for cooking them and went for it. And it was good.<br />
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The last few years, around St. Patty's day I stock up on brisket, usually buying a dozen or so, and freezing them for the rest of the year. A few days after the holiday, most stores will have them on sale for $1.50 to $2.50 a pound, which makes it seem slightly less ridiculous when I buy 40-50 pounds worth at once :)<br />
<br />
Sometimes I just cook it and have it with whatever, but if I'm in the mood, or having guests, I make my version of Corned Beef and Cabbage.<br />
<br />
Foil Wrapped Corned Beef <br />
Braised Potatoes<br />
Onion Glazed Carrots<br />
Fried Cabbage<br />
<br />
Sometimes I add corn bread or corn meal biscuits... <br />
<br />
It's all very healthy... anyway, I'm going to follow this with two posts, one on making the Corned Beef itself, and another highlighting the way I do the potatoes, carrots and cabbage to have them all come out perfectly together. The corned beef takes 2 hours per pound, so the 2-3 pound chunks typically for sale in the grocery is a 4-6 hour affair, plus another hour after it comes out of the over to finish the potatoes and whatnot. It may not be quick, but it's super easy. It takes about four minutes to get it ready to go in the oven, so if I'm going to be home during the day it's not really THAT much work - And - the oven temp is just 250 F so it doesn't make the kitchen seem hot (if you're living in an older, rented home, and don't have a super new, well insulated over :)<br />
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And it plates beautifully...<br />
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<br />Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-72861886900110160562012-03-06T00:27:00.000-07:002012-03-06T00:27:22.226-07:00Snyder Lake.The winter is a complicated time for me. I really, really, don't like being cold. I get cold pretty easily. And starting my "Outdoor" life in Utah, Arizona, and more northern climes primarily only in summer, really didn't prepare me for moving to Montana and having a husband who expected to go outside, with me, as often as before. Year round. Every weekend.<br />
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I already don't have a particularly dialed outdoor system down for pretty much anything (clothing, calories, bearanoia, etc) then add my refusal to stop moving. When you stop moving you get cold, so I just refuse to stop moving.<br />
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Is my neck cold cause I layered wrong??? As long as I can feel that it's cold it's clearly not frostbite, no need to stop and fix the problem.<br />
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Hungry cause I usually get a stomach ache if I eat too much for breakfast, but forgot to put any food in my pack's waist belt pockets??? It's only a six hour hike, I've gone for longer than six hours without eating before, no problem!<br />
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Thirsty??? Can't drink too much water or I'll have to not only stop, but expose delicate skin! <br />
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Starting to feel a hot spot where one foot is sliding more than the other because I didn't tighten my boot straps equally??? Um... yeah, still not stopping.<br />
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Not that I'm actually moving that quickly. Ask D. My lack of stopping does not actually make me quick. It makes me a tortoise. I'm typically moving so slowly that I could probably do most of these things without effecting my pace, but in winter, I always have poles, so there's no way to do anything unless you stop, plant your poles and go from there. Too much time. Too much cold.<br />
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So there is essentially a constant level of discomfort when I'm outside in the winter. It's all my fault, and I know it, but I'm not stopping.<br />
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<br />
The larger problem is that I don't want to stay indoors all winter. I mean I do. But I don't. First off, Summer only applies to like, 75 days a year up here... and even then, it's not real summer. There's always snow Somewhere and you can never take a hike without at least two long sleeve articles of clothing, usually three is most sane.
And to be in a position to make the most of those 75 days you've got to be ready for them.<br />
<br />
Plus... and not to press the point...
winter is really pretty.<br />
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Work and life and everything is just so complicated. The whole being an adult thing. Spending 5 or 6 hours, once a week, staring at really pretty stuff, really makes clocking-in, going to the bank, coming up with new dinner menus every night (okay, so not like I cook dinner every night) but ya know, it makes being responsible easier. Don't ask me how, it just does. D likes to be <a href="http://bedrockandparadox.com/2012/03/05/stress/">articulate</a> about it, but whatevs.
I'm just saying, it's been awhile since I've been out. And I needed it.
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We drove to the end of the road, the parking lot of the closed Lake McDonald Lodge and started up the trail that leads to all sorts of fun. Because of the cloud layer most likely blocking the view from the top, we opted to pass the junction for the Mt. Brown Lookout and head to Snyder Lake instead.<br />
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You start in the forest. I have hiked in many places, and in many forests, but there is something distinctly special about the trees on the southeast side of Lake McDonald.<br />
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I know how the guy below feels... all his friends are standing tall and he's the only one so overburdened with snow he can't leave the ground!!!<br />
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It's a gentle climb along the creek that drains the Upper and Lower Snyder Lakes. Once you get high enough the trees occasionally break and you catch glimpses of the peaks forming Snyder Lakes' cirque.<br />
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They say - keep on coming, keeping on climbing, I have lots of friends you can't see just waiting for you to get to the Lake and put us all together into one big circle!<br />
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We were wearing skis because we anticipated breaking trail in some weird and heavy snow, on the much less frequented Mt. Brown Lookout Trail. But the Snyder Lakes trail was well formed. We passed six other people, in three different parties, all on snow shoes or just plain boots... which on the way up I looked at jealously, but skis win on the way down :)<br />
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The above photo was not adjusted to be Black and White... this is the color version... All hail the Uni-Cloud!<br />
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Once the trees really started to open up, we were treated to several bright blue frozen falls. I've been told, if you can reach them, they taste like blue raspberry...<br />
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Almost there...<br />
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BAM. Sandwich time. In the above photo the lake is just over the near ridge of snow, surrounded by trees you can't see, hiding a couple campsites. It's just under 9 miles round trip from the parking lot, a three hour hike in the summer, which on this day took us around five hours.<br />
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D, earning his turns.<br />
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On the way back there's the pleasure of the first reflected rays off the lake; confirming you are as close to the car as you think you are.<br />
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Not a bad homecoming. Now where's my beer???Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-50164943860813880402012-03-03T21:02:00.001-07:002012-03-03T21:04:22.908-07:00Quote of the Day.Having just finished a blog post. <br />
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D - This blog sucks anyway. I'm too full of meatballs and tater tots to be inspired.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-31456081979842050952012-02-17T20:39:00.001-07:002012-02-17T20:39:09.614-07:00Quote of the Day.M - What time is it???<br />
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D - Now.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-90501897427090610082012-01-04T16:46:00.001-07:002012-01-04T16:49:01.535-07:00Quote of the Day.D walks in the door and declares -<br />
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I want a fancy salad and a glass of wine for dinner.<br />
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Seriously, I don't know how many times we've gone out to eat and the Food Runner tries to give me the salad and D the steak. Thank goodness my husband has non-heteronormitive eating habits.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-33473108946436118842011-11-27T19:43:00.001-07:002011-11-27T19:44:31.485-07:00Quote of the Day.After an inter-room chat, briefly discussing the deliciousness of various dinner options:<br />
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D - Okay now no talking, I'm sewing a curve.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-65142478290082296432011-11-03T16:04:00.000-07:002011-11-03T18:31:44.555-07:00Water.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meltwater below Sperry Glacier, early Sept</td></tr>
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So - the short version of the moment is that summer was beautiful and busy...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarn at Logan Pass, late August</td></tr>
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and then fall hit and everything decreased. Work. Drivable miles of road in Glacier. Temperature. Sunlight. Wildflowers in bloom. Desire to be colder than necessary (aka going outside).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarn at Logan Pass, late August.</td></tr>
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I'm struggling with trying to figure out how to motivate for the winter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain goat enjoying the view at the Hidden Lake Overlook, mid-July.</td></tr>
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And then Glacier National Park's <a href="http://www.facebook.com/GlacierNationalPark">facebook page</a> (which I love) does a photo contest. The "prize" is having your photo used as their profile picture for a month. They did this back in May and it turned into a bit of a free-for-all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarn at Logan Pass, mid-July</td></tr>
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The theme was "Spring". Some particularly excitable fans submitted over a dozen photos and I'd say 60% of the photos were clearly from high-summer, and another 15% from fall. Whatever - spring means different things to different people (and we'll disregard that what makes Glacier such a wonderful and special place is exemplified by the differences between Spring in Glacier, and Spring anywhere else, but again, whatever), but considering Glacier probably gets 90% of it's unique visitors during a 75 day window in late June, July, August and early September, that's about what you'd expect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paintbrush, Mary Baker Lake, and Sperry Glacier, early Sept </td></tr>
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This time the theme was "Water: non-frozen" which I think is excellent.
Also - one photo limit per Facebook profile. As you'd suppose, most
photos are of Lakes McDonald or St. Mary. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along Running Eagle Creek, late July</td></tr>
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I decided I'd find my most favoritest photo of Water in Glacier and submit it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Medicine, late July</td></tr>
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Harder said than done. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQaiufclaXQ/TrMLH6SApQI/AAAAAAAADlo/HdOReGAfF98/s1600/IMG_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="627" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQaiufclaXQ/TrMLH6SApQI/AAAAAAAADlo/HdOReGAfF98/s640/IMG_0048.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Medicine, late August</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To start with, until late July D and I were using the same camera. Sometimes we would pass it back and forth on a trip, depending on who was in the mood to photo. Now we have two cameras, but they're the exact same camera, and we both download the photos to D's computer, so when viewing photos in the typical iPhoto format (chronologically) our photos from the same trip intergrade.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5dgY8IAF5A/TrMNsSX4T8I/AAAAAAAADms/ZGOrYql9zn8/s1600/IMG_1469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C5dgY8IAF5A/TrMNsSX4T8I/AAAAAAAADms/ZGOrYql9zn8/s640/IMG_1469.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake McDonald, late August</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And while some photos are clearly mine, or clearly D's (we do have different sensibilities) some are up for grabs.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DDzzHhTps6w/TrMLa7apYCI/AAAAAAAADlw/O6PWHY0AJHU/s1600/IMG_0903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DDzzHhTps6w/TrMLa7apYCI/AAAAAAAADlw/O6PWHY0AJHU/s400/IMG_0903.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gooseberry blossoms along McDonald Creek, June.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I looked through the "Last 12 Months" section of iPhoto and pulled to the desktop my favorite water pictures. One of them I'm 80% certain that D took (but I was there...), but the rest I'm sure are mine. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R88sE9gtHvw/TrMOa4rLgoI/AAAAAAAADnE/yjwt176rbXs/s1600/IMG_3130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R88sE9gtHvw/TrMOa4rLgoI/AAAAAAAADnE/yjwt176rbXs/s640/IMG_3130.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hidden Lake, early Sept. The reason I'm pretty sure D took this picture is because below is a picture of me taking of picture of D taking the above picture. I think.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qd6Y3wtgo28/TrMM1PXcmHI/AAAAAAAADmU/x4Fe_qPWlyI/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qd6Y3wtgo28/TrMM1PXcmHI/AAAAAAAADmU/x4Fe_qPWlyI/s640/IMG_1237.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
When I got done sorting through iPhoto I had 14 of my favoritest photos of Water in Glacier from this year. I've added one more (the contest forbid photos in which a person could be recognized) and that is this blog post. The first photo is the one I posted to their wall. You can go to their Facebook page to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=o.74553624911&type=3&bef=313972968616850">see all the submissions</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qe3ZICdA4g/TrMOmw_t9EI/AAAAAAAADnM/iOMdH-TbuwQ/s1600/IMG_9434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="593" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qe3ZICdA4g/TrMOmw_t9EI/AAAAAAAADnM/iOMdH-TbuwQ/s640/IMG_9434.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along McDonald Creek, early June.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Looking through a year's worth of Glacier adventures is a pretty good
way to psych myself up for getting out there this winter. For some
reason, looking at all the things I've done makes me think of all the
things I have yet to do. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHK6yyxKM4A/TrMO4sZvpdI/AAAAAAAADnY/8qyCDCfRDfU/s1600/IMG_9557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="598" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sHK6yyxKM4A/TrMO4sZvpdI/AAAAAAAADnY/8qyCDCfRDfU/s640/IMG_9557.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D near the Apgar Fire Lookout, viewing Lake McDonald, ~May. The Mt. Brown Fire Lookout was on my list last winter/spring but never happened; it sits across the lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-88845507647105954362011-09-16T22:13:00.002-06:002011-09-16T22:16:20.830-06:00Phrase of the Day.I indulged D in watching Jurassic Park after dinner, and he repaid me by jokingly referring to VelociBears.<br /><br />I will now, Never Hike Again*.<br /><br /><br />*(in bear country)Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-38360890075815107302011-07-04T12:22:00.004-06:002011-07-04T12:34:31.261-06:00Quote of the Day.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HwLSqE3MSA/ThIGSrYHkvI/AAAAAAAADlQ/v_KrRYQaIkA/s1600/IMG_1473.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4HwLSqE3MSA/ThIGSrYHkvI/AAAAAAAADlQ/v_KrRYQaIkA/s400/IMG_1473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625565802490467058" border="0" /></a><br />M - Did you know Beargrass is closely related to Trillium?<br />D - Plants are inscrutable like that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWSz2tiQY1E/ThIGTNDhOUI/AAAAAAAADlY/OdWwME-b0sQ/s1600/IMG_9593.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWSz2tiQY1E/ThIGTNDhOUI/AAAAAAAADlY/OdWwME-b0sQ/s400/IMG_9593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625565811530873154" border="0" /></a>(D's botanical interest only goes so far...)Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-63619956115553171942011-06-07T16:22:00.008-06:002011-06-07T17:43:56.428-06:00The Bears.The first bear of the year was a Black Bear.<br /><br /><br />In early May we were walking along what appears to be (in season) a horse trail, along the Middle Fork of the Flathead in Glacier, from the parking lot at the beginning of the road to the Apgar Lookout Trailhead toward the east... and in a bit of a ditch, or a trench or something, we almost walked by it, and then I turned my head and saw it looking at us.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBrIVHO1eVY/Te6uWeibjtI/AAAAAAAADiI/V4Q0Y8iw1AQ/s1600/IMG_9647.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBrIVHO1eVY/Te6uWeibjtI/AAAAAAAADiI/V4Q0Y8iw1AQ/s400/IMG_9647.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615617486555418322" border="0" /></a>At which point I chasticed D... he was in the lead, he was supposed to be on Dangerous Wildlife Patrol. Yet I was the first to see it.<br /><br />The second and third bears of the year were Black bears at the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/bisonrange/nbr/">National Bison Range</a> near Moiese, MT. We were in the car, one was far off, one is below. We watched him scratch around and nibble something for a few minutes.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uU6sVVuEkA/Te6r4RIrZ4I/AAAAAAAADh8/XaefxvZZNZI/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uU6sVVuEkA/Te6r4RIrZ4I/AAAAAAAADh8/XaefxvZZNZI/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615614768538412930" border="0" /></a><br />The Forth Bear of the Year was The First Grizzly of the Year.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hbnBMp4fTwY/Te6uWxFUFfI/AAAAAAAADiQ/fHxCfZGnFHE/s1600/IMG_0724.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hbnBMp4fTwY/Te6uWxFUFfI/AAAAAAAADiQ/fHxCfZGnFHE/s400/IMG_0724.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615617491533567474" border="0" /></a>Last Sunday D and I had parked the car at the Avalanche Campground (the most easterly point you can currently reach from the West on Going to the Sun Road) then got on our bikes. We had seperate destinations, so <a href="http://bedrockandparadox.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/summer-3/">D quickly outpaced me</a>. He parked at The Loop and took the trail toward Granite Park Chalet, then summited Swiftcurrent mountain and skied as long as he could back down. I saw his bike when I rounded The Loop and kept going up Sun Road.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmEUrTjAPaM/Te6uXASsbgI/AAAAAAAADiY/lmt67YF8WE4/s1600/IMG_0579.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MmEUrTjAPaM/Te6uXASsbgI/AAAAAAAADiY/lmt67YF8WE4/s400/IMG_0579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615617495616220674" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Snow Cave with a view! This opening is only about six inches wide.</span><br /><br /></div>I road to the point where the plowing stopped.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ApGNYEx7pE/Te6yxvXfwuI/AAAAAAAADi0/sXD3-b86TqI/s1600/IMG_0535.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ApGNYEx7pE/Te6yxvXfwuI/AAAAAAAADi0/sXD3-b86TqI/s400/IMG_0535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615622352975938274" border="0" /></a>I then strapped on my snow shoes and kept going. Not long after the snow quality led me to remove my snow shoes and just walk, though it was still difficult it was easier in regular footwear. There were no recent tracts through the huge avalanche snow drifts across the road, which I'd been hoping for. Just very faint and melted out ski tracks. I turned around far shy of my plan and took a few pictures on the way back to my bike.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuvB7L55QOk/Te6yycQvWaI/AAAAAAAADjE/wltdDVbAtAc/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tuvB7L55QOk/Te6yycQvWaI/AAAAAAAADjE/wltdDVbAtAc/s400/IMG_0540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615622365027195298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Looking down McDonald Creek, the road where I started is just visible on the left side of the river.<br /><br /></span></div>My mission for the day had been to see what I could find growing in the seeps along Sun Road. I also walked a bit out the Granite Park trail to a large stream that crosses the trail to see what might be out there.<br /><br />Things up there are still just starting to peek out, it was hard to find fully open flowers, but lots of little buds trying to make a go of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ELXVleWE7I/Te6yw0-tzRI/AAAAAAAADis/1A-l4ql4H7Q/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ELXVleWE7I/Te6yw0-tzRI/AAAAAAAADis/1A-l4ql4H7Q/s400/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615622337302744338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">This little guy had about four inches on either side before a snow bank started again. I wish I could take a GPS coordinate and then go back once a week for a month to watch it grow and bloom... too bad it's a two-three hour bike ride to reach it, and once the road opens to cars will be in a spot you wouldn't easily be able to stop at.<br /><br /></span></div>I took my time on the return. I find out and back hikes are great for flower foraging, as you can search seperate sides of the road on the way out/up and back/down and find flowers you never noticed the first time.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3eYYdoWjPe4/Te6yx4aYhGI/AAAAAAAADi8/3-c9_yGBTos/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3eYYdoWjPe4/Te6yx4aYhGI/AAAAAAAADi8/3-c9_yGBTos/s400/IMG_0509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615622355403965538" border="0" /></a>D quickly caught back up with me as we both rode back to Josey at Avalanche. While recounting our days as we rode along beside each other (one of the joys of having an entire road free of cars) we rounded a corner and I quickly alerted D to the friend who wanted to meet us.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSMm5LGBwTs/Te6ywZF1v2I/AAAAAAAADik/lsBDBOI4yqs/s1600/IMG_0724.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSMm5LGBwTs/Te6ywZF1v2I/AAAAAAAADik/lsBDBOI4yqs/s400/IMG_0724.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615622329816432482" border="0" /></a>It just kept walking down the road toward us, and we started backing up and softly but firmly calling out to it. Forgive the pictures, as my priority at the time wasn't on adjusting camera settings...<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsrRrehEfVc/Te6r3vNXATI/AAAAAAAADhs/d4kxJwPiI-Y/s1600/IMG_0725.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WsrRrehEfVc/Te6r3vNXATI/AAAAAAAADhs/d4kxJwPiI-Y/s400/IMG_0725.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615614759431242034" border="0" /></a>after it crossed the road it continued walking toward us...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6PrqXHoIBI/Te6r4A5y8UI/AAAAAAAADh0/lpJL8zuwm5k/s1600/IMG_0726.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6PrqXHoIBI/Te6r4A5y8UI/AAAAAAAADh0/lpJL8zuwm5k/s400/IMG_0726.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615614764181025090" border="0" /></a>but finally turned off down the embankment to the river. At which point several cyclist going both up and down the road, caught up to us and we related our story, and then we all rode down the road a hundred yards to a break in the trees where we could better watch it swim the river and completely and totally disappear into the dense brush on the far side.<br /><br />The rest of the ride was uneventful. It was a good day. And I have another 6 or 8 (still sorting through) species for my Glacier Flora Photo Project. And a nice sense for how the flowers are slowly making their way into the higher elevations. One week can make such a huge difference for one species, and no difference at all for another. Watching the timeline unfold may end up being the most interesting aspect of this whole thing.<br /><br />I should not forget the forest for the trees... (or the larger geographical-biological trends for the close up shots of flower petals...)<br /><br />now to sort through more photos.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-49861341664653671832011-05-12T16:58:00.000-06:002012-07-10T17:10:03.942-06:00Budda's Laugh.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyQGTo7clj4/T_yz7xJbLLI/AAAAAAAADtY/IH9TBpRi49o/s1600/IMG_9941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyQGTo7clj4/T_yz7xJbLLI/AAAAAAAADtY/IH9TBpRi49o/s640/IMG_9941.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Other things I've found while trying to put my garden in place...<br />
<br />
Chess Pieces<br />
2 strands Indoor Christmas lights<br />
3 legged dog ornament<br />
cell phone - Nokia<br />
3 broken garden trowels and a garden fork<br />
4 different types of tomato cages/stakes<br />
Bop-It <br />
2 bird feeders<br />
2 foot tall Cross - Christian<br />
1 leather glove<br />
some other random stuff I can't remember...<br />
<br />
all of these items were found thick in brush or buried. Suffice to say when I went to tackle the overgrowth, I wasn't expecting to find a small thrift store in the weeds.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-62370515247329036002011-05-08T17:20:00.008-06:002011-06-08T10:58:33.055-06:00Thou Shall Go to Glacier.The Flathead Valley is a <span style="font-style: italic;">Special</span> place. I don't know many people who would deny that... in one form or another.<br /><br />There are 33 miles between our front door and the enterence to Glacier National Park. The following pictures were taken along the first 25 miles of the route we drive to get there. It is not the signed route, it is a back way.<br /><br />The following are photos of signs that contain The Ten Commandments.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tjBrgR78kqI/Te7BcdpkYLI/AAAAAAAADk0/e5SPg8n-2JA/s1600/IMG_9678.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tjBrgR78kqI/Te7BcdpkYLI/AAAAAAAADk0/e5SPg8n-2JA/s400/IMG_9678.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615638480117063858" border="0" /></a>1) Along a Golf Course.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eoO42ffBDus/Te7BcJJ144I/AAAAAAAADks/onsAqKc7Z6I/s1600/IMG_9679.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eoO42ffBDus/Te7BcJJ144I/AAAAAAAADks/onsAqKc7Z6I/s400/IMG_9679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615638474615284610" border="0" /></a>2) Private Yard #1.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vl6womcIpWc/Te7BbsGGyaI/AAAAAAAADkk/z81Qj1BPlug/s1600/IMG_9680.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vl6womcIpWc/Te7BbsGGyaI/AAAAAAAADkk/z81Qj1BPlug/s400/IMG_9680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615638466814986658" border="0" /></a>3) Chapel.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8gHNjSRVsg/Te7BUf7EOdI/AAAAAAAADkc/57N_RxaTAK4/s1600/IMG_9735.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8gHNjSRVsg/Te7BUf7EOdI/AAAAAAAADkc/57N_RxaTAK4/s400/IMG_9735.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615638343288371666" border="0" /></a>4) Private Garage.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aX8nFal4is4/Te6-rEDLTTI/AAAAAAAADkI/a6BUywNrIU4/s1600/IMG_9675.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aX8nFal4is4/Te6-rEDLTTI/AAAAAAAADkI/a6BUywNrIU4/s400/IMG_9675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615635432408304946" border="0" /></a>5) Church Yard #1.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYP8iWKNfYw/Te6-qpCC-GI/AAAAAAAADkA/h-L75gdgTls/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYP8iWKNfYw/Te6-qpCC-GI/AAAAAAAADkA/h-L75gdgTls/s400/IMG_9674.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615635425155807330" border="0" /></a>6) Private Yard #2<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gre0eiuiCYw/Te6-qGIm0lI/AAAAAAAADj4/AlPulCCS-ZI/s1600/IMG_9673.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gre0eiuiCYw/Te6-qGIm0lI/AAAAAAAADj4/AlPulCCS-ZI/s400/IMG_9673.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615635415788081746" border="0" /></a>7) Church Building<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikkiueCzTOY/Te6-p9XT4CI/AAAAAAAADjw/M0-5h0dStis/s1600/IMG_0741.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikkiueCzTOY/Te6-p9XT4CI/AAAAAAAADjw/M0-5h0dStis/s400/IMG_0741.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615635413433835554" border="0" /></a>8) Church Sign (almost doesn't count because it also has service times, etc, on it<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bL9mc2L2bnc/Te6-rol3rTI/AAAAAAAADkQ/i3lMH_vDHuE/s1600/IMG_9676.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bL9mc2L2bnc/Te6-rol3rTI/AAAAAAAADkQ/i3lMH_vDHuE/s400/IMG_9676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615635442217495858" border="0" /></a>9) Church Yard #2<br /><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P7ykovqWGyM/Te7Bc4XpAXI/AAAAAAAADk8/tgPTO6mmlLo/s1600/IMG_9677.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P7ykovqWGyM/Te7Bc4XpAXI/AAAAAAAADk8/tgPTO6mmlLo/s400/IMG_9677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615638487289626994" border="0" /></a>Also on the Golf Course - there are two of these along the way, "Quotations" from "God", and there's another board with a quote from Ezekiel :) But they don't exactly count...<br /><br />So, that's, like, one Ten Commandments per every three miles.<br /><br />I guess my only issue is that none of the signs are large enough, or close enough to the road for a person to actually read the commandments. Everyone obviously knows what they are... they're a bit distinctive, with the traditional, Moses, two big tombstone-esque slabs, I'm not sure why anyone bothers with the words.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-60244706378897185182011-03-18T19:20:00.002-07:002011-03-18T19:26:18.537-07:00Quote of the Day.Enjoying a quiet evening at home. D on the computer, me cooking...<br /><br />D - Can I read you something... cycling related, but also cosmotology related???<br /><br />M - Oh, Please!<br /><br />(but then I was disappointed)<br /><br />see <a href="http://queenstage.tumblr.com/post/3946306449/i-was-chatting-with-my-former-teammate-chris">Here</a>.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-82899203309108396052011-01-01T19:13:00.002-07:002011-01-01T19:15:47.341-07:00Quote of the Day.(D shows me a trip report on BackpackingLite.com of a 9 day trip in the Wind River Range)<br /><br />M - There's an exhaustive gear list but no milage figures!!!<br />D - The people on this site care more about gear than miles.<br />M - What's wrong with them???<br />D - They're old and slow.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-79379037247622116732010-11-10T17:39:00.004-07:002012-07-09T23:39:45.744-06:00The Kitchen.Last weekend I awoke at 6am, Saturday. I drove D to Two Medicine (East side, Glacier) and drove home.<br />
<br />
I'd been trying to figure out what to do with the kitchen. <a href="http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2004/10/08/dod810_bef_kitchen_lg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2004/10/08/dod810_bef_kitchen_lg.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 202px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 270px;" /></a>The evil, dark, gloomy, cave-like, dungeon of a kitchen. I don't have any photos of the kitchen as it was, as D had the only camera in the house I can currently get to work, but it sort of looked like the kitchen to the right. The other problem - we have so much kitchen stuff, fun, happy kitchen stuff, that we had to have a lot of stuff sitting out. On the counter, on top of the cupboards, everywhere. And because the horrible dark, dungeon cupboards were this horrible medium to dark streaked wood laminate, it created a very busy looking kitchen. We had to put a warning sign up as epileptics were likely to have seizures upon entry.<br />
<br />
We had bought a couple gallons of paint from, essentially, a <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNsVq_eCN9I/AAAAAAAADf0/gDPJtMuZN-s/s1600/IMG_7621.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538043995118254034" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNsVq_eCN9I/AAAAAAAADf0/gDPJtMuZN-s/s400/IMG_7621.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 180px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a>Home Improvement thrift store (amazing) for really cheap to cover up the creepy 70's childrens wallpaper in the room we were going to use as our bedroom. And the owner of our new house had a couple of gallons of paint in the basement. When I returned from driving D I started in on the sink full of dirty dishes, giving me time to dwell on everything that was wrong with our kitchen... dishes are good for stewing. And it occured to me that what I needed to do in the next 28 hours before I had to go fetch D - was repaint the entire kitchen.<br />
<br />
The walls. The cabinets. Heck I considered painting the countertops (only for .2 seconds, but still).<br />
<br />
So I hopped downstairs and pulled <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNshHT0SSiI/AAAAAAAADgA/WcV-E2nBn9Q/s1600/IMG_7878.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538056576244533794" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNshHT0SSiI/AAAAAAAADgA/WcV-E2nBn9Q/s400/IMG_7878.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a>out all the paint in the house and started looking around. Well, actually, I pulled everything out of, down from, and off of, the cabinets first. The Bike Box (the downstairs bedroom that serves as bike storage) became the kitchen overflow room (told you we have a lot of kitchen stuff). Then I removed all the cabinet fronts and drawers, pulled off the hardware, and sat down on the floor of the now empty kitchen to figure out step two.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0M1GYG4I/AAAAAAAADgU/0dmsUij5TpY/s1600/IMG_7882.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538077561799056258" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0M1GYG4I/AAAAAAAADgU/0dmsUij5TpY/s400/IMG_7882.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 214px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 286px;" /></a><br />
There was an almost full gallon of the most ridiculous green paint I'd ever seen, presumably because our landlord had considered painting something that color. As a favor to her, and anyone else who ever occupies our house, and really, to the world at large, I dumped a bunch of off-white paint of a slightly pinkish/peachish persuasion into the green. It made a previously fluorescent and acidic green, into a very acceptable vibrant moss color. And that's what ended up on the walls.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I then pulled over another can of paint already in residence in the house, pleased that the streaks down the side of the can looked like a promising off-white in the yellow realm, which would work well with the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0Ml1hsDI/AAAAAAAADgM/-uhveA0pEmY/s1600/IMG_7880.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538077557701849138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0Ml1hsDI/AAAAAAAADgM/-uhveA0pEmY/s400/IMG_7880.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 308px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 231px;" /></a>counter tops. Popped the top to find an inch of light blue liquid on top, grabbed a stirring stick and hit a very hard, sticky layer of paint. There was no stirring. Absolutely nothing was moving in the bottom of that paint can. The Off-white color that I'd mixed with the green was much too peachish, and looked atrocious against the yellow counters. So I grabbed my purse and headed for Josey. With $12 worth of paint and some more painter's tape in my hand I was back at the house painting cabinets.<br />
<br />
Sunday involved second coats for most things and a third coat for some of the larger cabinet doors where I had lost my patience and not done the most even and effecient job the first time :)</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I didn't quite manage to get all the painting done by the time I picked D up, and that was even with the extra hour from Daylight Savings Time :( This is what he saw when he got home...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNtCEDB8T9I/AAAAAAAADgw/xnrzi7tJbMs/s1600/IMG_7884.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538092804082520018" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNtCEDB8T9I/AAAAAAAADgw/xnrzi7tJbMs/s400/IMG_7884.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a> note the refrigerator pulled away from the wall and covering most of the entry way into the kitchen.<br />
<br />
But the painting was done on Monday, and I moved the last few things back into the kitchen today.<br />
<br />
I was a little worried about the hardware, but in the end, I wasn't going to pay for new stuff myself, and D says he actually likes it... hmm.<br />
<br />
Three notes -<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0NBsqMEI/AAAAAAAADgc/5t5EahBswcM/s1600/IMG_7893.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538077565180850242" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0NBsqMEI/AAAAAAAADgc/5t5EahBswcM/s400/IMG_7893.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
- No I don't approve of painting wood. This was horrible wood laminate over pressed wood product, so I felt no qualms.<br />
<br />
- No I didn't get permission from our landlord. The property management company gave me a pretty unconcerned answer when I asked about painting walls, so I decided to run with it.<br />
<br />
I believe they said "as long as it looks better than it did before". Check.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0NSpnFTI/AAAAAAAADgk/L9k8L_CK5Ww/s1600/IMG_7905.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538077569731466546" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4oGW3R1BFQ8/TNs0NSpnFTI/AAAAAAAADgk/L9k8L_CK5Ww/s400/IMG_7905.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 300px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
- The older I get the less I cherish my perfectionistic tendencies. I worry this is the truist sign of cynicism I have yet shown. Though D may argue.</div>
Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-58123472777161267782010-06-11T23:01:00.002-06:002010-06-11T23:02:23.177-06:00Quote of the Day.D - That wasn't funny.<br />M - Oh, no. In my head it was.<br />D - It wasn't funny primarily because the metaphor was nonsensical.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-16461578665879739192010-04-06T22:45:00.002-06:002010-04-06T22:49:53.910-06:00Quote of the Day.(D accidently put the sauce on the pizza crust before baking it, I scraped it off, he put it in the oven and then went to pull it out, top it, and put it back in, he got back into the living room)<br /><br />M - How is the pizza crust??? Did it pre-bake alright???<br />D - Yay, it's fine, it just has a tan... <br />M - A tan???<br />D - A weird coloration... a little orange tint... a John Bahner tan.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-17222333763766003982010-04-02T18:32:00.001-07:002010-04-02T18:32:46.540-07:00Quote of the Day.D - Don't even think about getting sprinkles on my keyboard.Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794825406672688632.post-30682183826355015632010-03-17T22:36:00.003-07:002010-03-17T22:38:18.373-07:00Quote of the Day.M - I'm worried.<br />D - Worried about what, that god will bring back the dinosaurs and you won't be able to run fast enough to get away from them???<br /><br />Per <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2344061033&ref=nf&gid=219538025589#%21/group.php?v=info&ref=nf&gid=219538025589">This</a>...Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178441144647638523noreply@blogger.com1