Friday Five

My friend Annie started doing this with her blog and I loved it because it was short, random things  that you wouldnt necessarily write a whole post about, but would love to share!  I find myself using instagram for things that I would do this with, but I'm going to try to do a little of both!   

So.. here we go! 

1.  I may not be working at the CB any more, but while I was, I got hooked on their glass bottle sodas- especially the honey lemonade!  Is it just me or does everything taste better in glass?  Thursday night when I got home, I was about to go stir crazy, so I rode into Billings to check out the NILE (yes, its a stock show... I know... somethings just don't get out of your system easy)  Before I headed home, I stopped and picked up a 4-pack to enjoy over the weekend.   If you've never had this, I highly recommend it!  

2.  We had two potential snow days this week.  (And by snow days, I don't mean that they were going to close anything down... I just mean it might snow on those days)  The beginning of the week, I headed over to my spare bedroom at J&J's since they said it might snow multiple inches... as it was... all we got was rain and muck!  By Tuesday night, I headed back to the hill... and after slipping and sliding up and down it for 3 more days, this is what the car looked like... Poor Tilly.... I don't think she'll ever be the same... She's been getting baths with the pressure washer out here, just to cut through some of the mud!

3.  Has anyone else played this? The first night I spent in Columbus that it was supposed to snow, we started playing it after supper, and can I just say it might be addicting!  This time of year, it starts getting dark earlier and it's cold outside, so you have to find things to do indoors.  Card games, reading, leather work, you name it, people out here find all kinds of ways to entertain themselves when they can't get outside!

4.  I know this one's fuzzy, but I was taking it in the dark!  Over the summer Mesa put in to have a sleepover at Jeannie's.  So... after 3 months... we finally are having our sleepover tonight.  I picked up B&A after work and we headed up the hill to pick up Mesa, Lucy & my stuff.  We also visited the local pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins to carve (more later)  before heading back over to spend the night.  Notice there are 4 little girls... We even had the 2 year old spend the night!  You should have heard all the giggling in that car on the way home!

5.  And last but certainly not least... I have developed a fascination with mule deer!  I just love how they flash those huge ears out at you when you drive by.   Lately, I've seen tons of mule deer does out and about and have finally started seeing some bucks. (I think my count the other afternoon was over 60 by the time I got home)   I ran across this little bunch on the way home from work Thursday afternoon and had to snap a pic.  I have to say, I'm pretty happy with it and think it might be one of my favorite pics I've taken since I've been here!  How many do you count?

So there you have it... this week's version of the Friday Five.  What would your five be?  

Chasing the Bugles

I'm a bit of a list maker.  I love to make lists and cross things off.  One of the lists I made before I headed out here was of things I knew I wanted to do while I was here.  A couple of Saturdays ago, we got up REALLY EARLY so that I could cross something off my list.   Yellowstone National Park does a free weekend in the spring and the fall and we decided to take advantage of that to search for some elk bugling.  Thank goodness we went the weekend that we did, since the next week, the government shut down closed the park!

Since it was so early, We threw the girls in the car with their pjs on and let them sleep the two hours from Columbus to Gardner.  Side note- once you pack your clothes bag, don't decide to take something vital out-  like pants- otherwise you might have to wear your pink monkey pj pants all day!  (Although I'm not really sure Addy minded!)  I packed my camera along with my phone (which is camera number 1 these days)  and let Bailey fill in some pics along the way as well.  (Several of these are hers, not mine!)  

Snoozin' on down the road

 Right around 7 am, we were headed into Gardner when we spotted the first and largest herd of elk we saw all day.  There were about 4 or 5 bulls in the heard of about 80 cows.  There was a hunter up on the hill behind us trying to call them up to him, so they were all stirred up and running around crazy.  But it was awesome!  That was actually the only time we heard them bugle all day... so it started out the day on a great note!

blurry, but you get the drift

The bulls weren't really fighting at that time, but they were trying to keep all the cows corralled up and away from whatever was calling them up the hill.  We sat in the car and watched for a while, then I decided I should climb out and take some pictures... from the far side of the car!  Elk are just a little smaller than an average horse... and those antlers are pretty massive... I didn't really want to get TOO close!  

Jeremy, our spotter and informational source, said that there used to be herds of hundreds of elk before they released wolves back into the park.  Now, the wolves keep them thinned down pretty good.  (Almost too good in my opinion!)  This pic of the bulls might just be my favorite one of the day.  If only it had been a little bit brighter!   

The Protectors

After watching for a bit, we headed on into Gardner where we had breakfast at the Town Cafe.  I must have been thinking about my Momma, because corn beef hash was on the menu and I had to have it!
 

This was my second time visiting the park near Gardner, and I must say, it was way more fun with someone else driving!  Especially when they're a pretty good tour guide!  We stopped at Mammoth Hot Springs at the visitors center so we could get National Park Passports for the girls and I could get mine stamped!  If you like visiting National Parks, Historic Sites and things like that, these are awesome!  There's a list of all the national park system sites by region, a map with their locations and plenty of space to keep track of visits you make!  There's also a kids companion with Junior Ranger Activities and places to write down wildlife, plants and other things you see during your visit.  (I know, I know... nerdy, but fun!) 

  

That weekend was also the first time it snowed in Yellowstone this fall.  You could see white up on the mountain tops, and as we drove, we hit a couple of flurries. There was even enough snow when we stopped to look at some of the geysers to make a snowball or two!  (which may or may not have gotten thrown!)

Jeremy & Addison enjoying a little steam

Buffalo (Or Bison as Bailey corrected us)  are plentiful in the park... almost to the point that you get immune to the excitement when you see them.  We passed several, including this handsome fellow, on the drive down from Mammoth to West Yellowstone.  There's a lot of warm pockets caused by the geothermal activity in the area and they are pretty quick to find them when it begins to get cold.  

Also sighted on the way to West Yellowstone was this young bull.  According to Jeremy, he was about 2 years old (I hope I'm telling this right).  He had a couple of cows grazing along with him, but I was more interested in the one with horns!  Note... we were sitting in the car when we took this picture... since the elk was about 6 feet away!

We made two stops in West Yellowstone...well 3 if you count getting gas!  The first was at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center.  Since sighting bears and wolves in the park aren't super common, we decided to increase our wildlife count the easy way!  We also got to see some bald eagles, a hoot owl and golden eagles while we were there!  (Attention any LOTR fans... yes... golden eagles are real... and while they might not be as large as they were in the movie, they are definitely larger than the bald ones!
 

Grizzly... name forgotten! 

White Wolf

FYI... Wolves and Grizzlies are a pretty big issue for stock owners and hunters out here.  In fact, there are some pretty heated debates happening between environmentalists and the other side about the proper way to manage these predators who are at the top of the food chain and don't have any competition to keep their numbers in check.

Bear Riders

 We had to take a picture on this carved bear!  Our second stop in West was the Timberline cafe for some lunch.  Keeping in mind it's a tourist town, the food was hot, and pretty reasonably priced.  Bailey & I had hot open-faced turkey sandwiches, Addy had chili and J&J had some pretty yummy looking burgers & fries!
 

After lunch & a quick gas stop, we headed back into the park.  We made it back to Mammoth and ran into this handsome fellow just wandering around.  While we were driving around, one of the rangers, kept yelling at vehicles " KEEP MOVING, HE CHARGES CARS!!!"  Of course, our question was, if he charges cars, what keeps him from charging the rangers on foot?  (crazy people!)  

And now comes the part of the day that I have absolutely no pictures to prove.  One thing you will learn when you visit the park is that any kind of wildlife sighting will cause a traffic jam on the very narrow roads.  Its frustrating when the traffic jam is for something like buffalo, which are everywhere!  But you almost have to stop, because if you don't, you will probably miss something super cool!  We stopped three times to check out what a group of people staring at and were seriously rewarded each time!  Two grizzly bears and a black bear!! They were all so far away that we needed the binoculars to see them, but we did see them!  (obviously, camera 1 and camera 2 were not powerful enough!)  (Side Note:  anyone who wants to contribute to the Katie's new digital camera with telephoto lens fund, feel free!)   

While we were stopped looking for the second grizzly bear, we spotted a some other wildlife in the area.  Out on the Lamar Valley, there was a coyote hunting something, which I will assume was a prairie dog (we couldnt see that one).  While we were watching, it jumped straight up in the air and dive bombed the ground just like you see on nature shows!  There were also several antelope bucks in the area and they were evidently beginning the rut.  This fellow ran across the road right behind my car to run off two other bucks!  

The Antelope that ran right out behind our car! 

 I absolutely love to look out over the country and see the mountains, especially when they've got a fresh coat of white on the tips!  They're beautiful all the time, but at their best when covered with the snow!

We finished out a very long day by traveling back over Dead Indian Pass, (which is a story for another day) and ended up home around 9:00 pm.  The only major wildlife I have yet to find are a moose, and a mountain lion.  (Although truthfully, I'm really not sure I want to meet up with the mountain lion... they're pretty fierce!)

Until Next Time!

Fresh From?

One of the things I miss most about Florida is the availability of affordable, fresh produce.  Now, I'm not saying that they don't have produce in Montana, they just have a much shorter growing season.  And sometimes, the offerings just aren't quite up to the same par as those from the sunshine state.  

But... they do have some pretty cool sources for produce when it's in season!  A couple Saturdays ago, Mesa & I ventured into Billings in search of the farmer's market, which I had heard some awesome things about!  

They close off about 3 blocks down town and set up tents and vendor stands with a little bit of everything!  Crepes, Egg Rolls, Tamales, and Lemonade stands were just a few of the food booths.  There were also booths with plants like mums and herbs, fruits and vegetables, honey, fresh breads/tortillas, and also booths that had meat products like sausages and fresh chickens.  The day we attended, the Pumpkins were just starting to show up in booths.

Street Musicians add to the festive feeling of the market. This particular young man was trying to raise money for a trip to Washington DC on his street Corner.  There were other ones farther down the street to entertain people while they shopped.  Mesa really liked the Balloon Animal booth... too bad her pumpkin bracelet popped before I got a picture of it!

Mesa, with her own money, decided that she really needed one of the mini white pumpkins that they were selling!  She also thought that we needed a watermelon (with my money).  I did figure out one thing about that... watermelon also tastes better from Florida (JUST SAYING!)

My big find of the day was a couple of bunches of rhubarb.  Rhubarb, like Asparagus, grows wild out here, and once established requires very little care.  (Or at least that's what I've been told)  The only thing is that you have to harvest it when it's growing!  I really didn't know how much I liked rhubarb until Angie started  making pies with it!  (And the Uncle likes it as much as I do)  So, when you spot rhubarb at the farmers market it makes sense to buy it, RIGHT?  

Angie's Amazing Peach Rhubarb Pie

There's another source of produce out here that's pretty cool, but that's gonna have to wait for another post!

Until Next Time!

Today's Post is Brought to You by the letter "F"

Ok, so I know that I have been horrible about writing lately, but hey... I've been busy!  I mean, starting a new job, learning to drive in snow (more on that later) and in general, just living.  I feel like Sesame Street with my title, but you'll figure out why if you keep reading!

This post happened about FIVE weeks ago... (maybe a tad bit more, but just go with it)  I know, I know... I've been slacking, trust me I've heard about it from about everyone I've talked to AND my uncle!  On our the way home from out first hiking trip, we drove past the road where J&J took the girls camping last year hand had a lot of success fishing.  (They also saw a bear on that trip!)  So when Jeannie invited me to go with them, you know I was up for that!  (Truthfully, I'm up for just about any adventure these days) We headed out pretty early that morning... I think we left Columbus around 7 with 5 horses, 3 dogs, 2 kids, and 3 adults.  After scraping and bumping our way back in, we headed up to the Trout Creek Trailhead.  While we were saddling up horses, stuffing saddle bags with snacks, drinks, lunch, and fishing tackle, Lucy chilled with Bailey.  (She's such a rotten dog... good thing she's so cute ;-)!) 

Bailey & Addy were ready to head out before the rest of us, so they waited patiently for the adults to get their acts together.  Of course, since Bailey was riding Rosie, Pippen had to come along too and he pretty much wandered from one end of the line to the other the whole day.

Which brings me to my second "f"  FIRE.  Jeremy, who I like to call our spotter and tour guide, pointed out all of the damage that was done by fires a few years back.  Honestly, it breaks my heart to see all those dead trees just standing around.  The practical side of me knows that fire is an important part of forest health, and there were plenty of new baby trees growing along the side of the trail, but it still reminded me of riding through a "tree graveyard"

From the point we started to the spot where we were going to stop for the day was about FIVE miles.  It was a fun ride, mostly single file, but plenty of room to spread out in places.  We took turns leading the way and crossed the creek several times on the way in.  Every time, we looked for trout, and saw quite a few on the way in.  

Notice the brush on the ground... I have to brag on Lucy for a minute here.  My little "fu-fu" dog, ran/trotted the whole 5 miles in and out... She never fell behind or wanted to quit!  I think its safe to say that she likes Montana pretty good.

When we finally got to the spot where they had such good luck last year, we got out the fishing tackle and cast a line in.  Unfortunately, we found out that someone else had fished out the "Honey-Hole"  the week before!  So, that was a bust!  There were some archery hunters getting their camp set up for hunting season close by and one of them said we should ride up to the falls.  Since the fishing turned out so badly, we did just that!

About another half mile up the trail, we had to leave our horses and hike in the last little bit.  But it was definately worth it!  We carried in our picnic lunch and relaxed for a while in the shade by the FALLS.  There was a little pool here and I'm pretty sure it would have made an awesome campsite if it wasn't for all the rocks on the ground!  Jeannie made some awesome cheeseburger salad with wraps for lunch, and with some beenie-weenies, granola bars and gatorade, we had a FEAST!  

We tried to do some more FISHING, but really didn't have a whole lot of success.  In fact, Jeannie was the only one to catch a fish the whole day!

Jeannie's Monster Fish

Eventually, we headed back towards the trail head, stopping a couple more times to try for some companions for the one lone brown trout we caught!  Along the way, the girls began showing off their trick riding skills!

I tried and tried to get a picture of Jeremy when he joined in, but totally missed out!  These two lead most of the way back to the trailer and somehow managed to get themselves onto a trail that was not the one we started out on.  Fortunately, we made it safely back to the spot where we parked the trailer without having to backtrack!  Just took a little steeper route to the bottom than the one we took going up!

And finally, on the way home, we had FLAT tires!  I'm sure Jeremy would like to get me back for this, but I'm pretty sure the Karma train already hit, since I had one on my car just a couple of days later!  (Thank goodness it happened before I left for work and UncleA was there to help me out!)

Even though I didn't catch a single fish, I had an absolutely awesome day with some amazing FAMILY!  

Until Next Time!

The Dignity of Labor

WARNING: Tonight's post is long on soap box and short on photos... but it's my blog and I'll post what I want to (insert Leslie Gore music here...)  Oh yeah... and it might ramble a bit in spots... bear with me on this one... getting my thoughts organized is the reason I'm just now writing it!

You know what's weird... having one job for 10 years.  I mean really!  One Job.  One Employer.  For a whole decade!  How many people can say that they stayed in their first real job for 10 years!  Part of the reason for my decision to move was a desire to try something different.  I figured that I could parlay my diverse skills as an ag teacher (you know, travel agent, fundraiser, therapist, paper pusher, babysitter, educator...)  into some sort of gainful employment.  

BOY WAS I IN FOR A SHOCKER!  

Turns out, 10 years in one job makes you slightly over qualified for a lot of jobs.  And, under-qualified for a whole lot of others!  During the job hunting process, I looked at positions for all kinds of certified technicians.  (I would say that all of those predictions by CTE Teachers abut semi-skilled careers being where the jobs are were VERY correct)  If I had a CNA, I could have applied for tons of jobs!  (not sure I wanted them, but they were out there!) I saw positions for sales jobs that I'm not sure I was qualified for... even though I sold my program, turkeys, advertisements, etc, on a consistent basis for 10 years!  And I saw jobs that I had no desire to apply for... but the point is... there are jobs if people are willing to work!  

A couple of years ago, I became a fan of Mike Rowe after I heard him speaking about the dignity of work.  The fact is that in our society, we seem to feel that some jobs are BELOW us!  Hello! Really??  Work is honorable and beneficial.  Ever worked so hard during a day that when you fell in your bed that night you don't remember even rolling over all night long?  I don't know about you, but those were some of the days I was happiest.  Ecclesiastes 2:24 says "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his work."  

Before you think I've totally chased a rabbit, I want you to understand that during the time I was hunting a job, I put out 10-12 resumes for all different types of jobs.  The last time I had to hunt a job, I applied for 2 and was offered both.  As I was waiting to hear something back, I had a lot of time to think about the benefits of work in my life.  (And I mean beside a paycheck)  Work gives us a schedule and a purpose.  It gives our lives structure.  And it brings us a sense of accomplishment.  When we lack these things, we (or at least I) tend to get depressed. The whole process made me very appreciative of a job when I finally got one.  It also made me more appreciative of the benefits that come with having a network of acquaintances.As much as we sometimes complain about the Good Ole Boys System... there are benefits!   I can't even begin to imagine how bad it would be if I had moved somewhere where I didn't know absolutely anyone!  

After a couple of weeks of putting in applications, I finally got a call back from Cracker Barrel.  By that point in time, I was just ready for any job, so when they offered me a position cashiering, I jumped at the chance.  I spent the next 4 weeks standing behind a cash register.  Was it lucrative?  Not Really.  Was it the most fun job I've ever had?  Probably Not. Did it make me feel like a productive person again?  ABSOLUTELY!  

About the time I started getting comfortable with the schedule and routine of Cracker Barrel, I got a call to interview with one of the other companies I had applied to.  The call came on Tuesday, I interviewed on Wednesday, and was offered a position as a customer service specialist with Montana Silversmiths on Friday!  During my interview, the HR director for the company asked me what I had been doing since I arrived in Montana.  I'm glad I was able to tell her that I had found a job and started working... even if I was going to quit it to come work for her!  I guess the saying that its easier to find a job when you've got one is truer than I knew!

So, now, instead of driving 25 minutes into Billings every day to work, I'm driving 35 miles to Columbus to work.  Does it bother me?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  If you could see the sun come up on my morning commute, you'd understand just how much I love the drive! Two weeks in and I'm really enjoying the work I'm doing.  The days are busy, the work is mentally challenging, but at the end of the day, I get to leave it there and go home.  And the people I work with have been great as well!

Totally unrelated, but something I have thought about several times lately-  John Magnusun, a guy I worked with right before I started teaching, told me once to live east of my job, That way, the sun would be at my back during the drive to and from work.  When you're not fighting the light in your eyes, its a whole lot easier to enjoy the views!

Yellowstone River Outside Columbus, MT

I told you it rambled... and maybe it didn't make very much sense, but I got it out... and you know where I'm working now! I'll leave you with a picture of Mesa & I from this weekend... It was full of fun, and hopefully I'll share more about that soon!  

The first & last Clark Granddaughter!

Until Next Time!

Friendly Faces

A couple of weeks ago, my sweet friend Kyra, (who was one of my students when I started teaching and has always felt like a little sister to me)  called to find out exactly where in Montana I was living.  Her dad & younger brother were planning a fly fishing trip and we were hoping we would get to meet up somewhere while they were here.  After a little phone tag, Ray & I figured out that they were going to be about 3 hours away from me.  I was worried at the time that I was going to have to work the whole time they were here and not get to see them, but when I accepted my new job, (more on that later this week)  I was able to give them a start date that allowed me to drive over and spend a little bit of time with my old friends.  

Driving down from Bozeman to Ennis 

Ennis is the fly fishing capital of Montana (I think they claim the world, but we'll be more conservative here)  And boasts of some great rainbow and brown trout in its streams.   I met Ray & Layton in town, (They were staying about 10-15 miles south in Cameron, MT)

Main Street Ennis, Montana

While I was waiting for them to arrive, I rambled through the little downtown area and came across some John Wayne goodies that I almost wanted to bring home with me!  (Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE The Duke!)

This metal lunchbox was especially hard to pass up... but I did manage to restrain myself!

After lunch, we headed back to the fishing camp to hang out for a little while.  Layton loves to fish and he fished up and down the creek about twice that afternoon.  Evidently, he had a great week and got pictures with some of the brown and rainbow trout that he caught.  (Several that were in the 17-21 inch range I believe)  On a side note here, I've known Layton since he was about 8 years old and am very proud of the young man he's become.  Even more proud of him for the decision that he made to serve his country in the Marines!

The next morning I met up with the guys again and ventured into the Park with them.  We parked my car at one of the information/visitor areas and I climbed in with them to tour the southern loop of the park.  As we were driving in from West Yellowstone Entrance, we evidently passed a Moose Cow with two calves (Layton saw them, I didnt...)  But when we pulled up to park my car, there was an Elk cow wandering around the bathroom building, so we had to snap a few pictures.  We could hear her calf calling her from the trees on the edge of the clearing and she wandered off after them while we were standing there.  

We arrived at Old Faithful at almost the perfect time.  We made a quick stop to the general store and then headed over to the Visitor Center and only had about 10-15 minutes to wait until the geyser erupted.  According to the park website, Old Faithful shoots off every 60-110 minutes.

We drove on around the loop past Yellowstone Lake, the Hayden Valley & many of the small sights to drive up to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  All I can say is wow... It is unbelievable what the Lord created for us to enjoy!

On the way back to where we parked my car, we saw plenty of buffalo and canadian geese, but now a whole lot more wildlife.  They dropped me off at my car and I headed home, and they headed off to fish some more before they had to head to the airport. I'm so thankful they were willing to take some time out of their trip to meet up!   I loved having that time to visit and catch up with old friends... next time I hope Kyra gets to come too!