Happy New Year

Why do we start a new year, with promises to improve?  Who began this tradition of never-ending pressure? I say, at the end of a year, should be filled with congratulation, for all we survived. And I say a new year should start with promises to be kinder to ourselves, to understand better just how much we bear as humans on this exhausting treadmill of life.

And if we are to promise more, let’s pledge to rest, before our bodies force us.

Let’s pledge to stop, and drink in life as it happens. Let’s pledge to strip away a layer of perfection to reveal the flawed and wondrous humanity we truly are inside.

Why start another year, gifted to us on this earth, with demands on our already over-strained humanity, when we could be learning to accept, that we were always supposed to be imperfect. And that is where the beauty lives, actually. And if we can only find that beauty, we would also find peace.

I wish you peace in 2023. Everything else is all just a part of it.

Let it be so.

 

written by Donna Ashworth

I Love Books

Last summer I started taking a book to work and instead of sitting in the break room, I went outside and sat in the cool grass under a tree to read. I'd forgotten what a great pleasure that is.

I love books. No kindle or e-books for me. I want the real deal. I want to smell the ink, feel the paper, turn the pages; I want real books! 

I love books that carry me off to faraway places; times past, or magical worlds where I can forget the troubles and stresses of the day, even if for a little while.

I love books that make me feel as though I’m part of the story; wondering what will happen next, feeling the tension, excitement, curiosity and joy. 

I love books that make me think, wonder, and question. I love books that make me savor words and emotions. 

I love books that make you feel, when you are done, that you’re saying goodbye to an old friend.

 

Cultural Winter

This time of year I always feel so tired and sleepy, and especially on the weekends I feel like I could just stay in bed all day. I know the shorter days with less sunlight has a lot to do with it, but how does that relate historically? 

I’m pretty sure that when humans lived in caves, they probably stayed inside during the cold and snowy winter months as much as possible. They may have had to hunt periodically for meat, but plants were scarce, if they could be found at all.

Indigenous people throughout the northern latitudes spent much of their time during spring, summer and fall, preparing for winter. In the late summer and early fall, hunters - and sometimes entire families - would travel to where game was plentiful and prepare meat for packing back home, where the meat would be dried and stored for winter meals. Women and children would gather and preserve plants used for food or medicine. Inside the lodges, winter was a time to sew or repair clothing and household items, for making new arrow heads, knives or spears, for music and laughter, and for relaxing as much as possible.

Winter was also a time for storytelling. Because there was no written language among Native Americans until the early 1820s, storytelling was - and still is - a very important part of native culture. Telling stories was a way to relive adventures, events of the day, or pass down family history, culture and traditions.

Our modern culture teaches that this time of year is for alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, over-spending and consumerism. It’s a tiring and stressful time. It’s a time for isolation and loneliness for those who have no money or family.

And yet if we look at the natural world, winter is a time for sleeping. The natural tug to go inwards as nearly all creatures are doing is strong, how can we not feel that we too, must hibernate during these cold and dark months? In actual fact winter is kind. She points us in her quiet soft way towards our inner self, towards this annual time of peace and reflection.

Winter takes away the distractions, the buzz, and presents us with the perfect time to rest our weary bodies, minds, and souls, and withdraw into a womb like love, bringing fire & light to our hearth". And then, just around the corner the new year will begin again, and like a seed planted deep in the earth, we will all rise with renewed energy once again to dance in the sunlight.

 

B-r-r-r-r-r!!!

Got up this morning and checked the outside temperature on the weather app on my phone before taking my dog out to potty, although I don’t know why. It’s winter. It’s cold. One of these days I’m going to check the weather app and it’s going to say, “What the hell are you looking here for? Just bundle up, it’s fucking freezing outside!” 

Winter's Here!

And just like that, it’s winter.

Snow squall moved through at around 11:00 and strong winds all day. Made for very quick walks with Cowboy, and while I was inside the office, he stayed in his crate, where it was cozy warm. Good boy! 

Looks like it’s going to be bitter cold all the way through Tuesday, with warmer temps through Sunday. Warmer being relevant; low to mid 20s with wind chills below zero during the day, and temps in the teens at night. Thursday however, it’s supposed to “warm up” all the way into the low to mid 30s during the day and low to mid teens at night.

This is January weather!  I hate to think what it will be like in January - maybe it will feel like Spring.

 

The Times They Are a'Changing

Daylight Savings Time ends tonight - or rather tomorrow, at 2:00. Ugh, I hate changing the time back! Why can’t they just leave it alone???   

It seems they are trying...

“Earlier this year, the state Senate passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. The idea of ending clock changes and sticking to one time was met with celebration — until scientists pointed out that such a change could cause a nationwide case of seasonal depression, learning loss and physical health problems”, which led the house to vote the bill down.

Who ARE these so-called “scientists” anyway? 

I ask this every year: how can people who are (supposed to be) so smart, not see what’s right in front of their faces?? Cause a nationwide case of seasonal depression?? Are you serious?!?!  What does it matter when it gets dark??  We always have less light in the winter, and seasonal depression is commonplace all over the US, especially up here in the northern latitudes, where we typically get only around seven to eight hours of daylight during mid-winter. And how about Alaska, where there are six months of 24 hour "nighttime" above the Arctic Circle? 

And how about this one --

“Removing a time change would mean a change to our daily exposure to natural light, which directly influences our circadian rhythms and our sleep-wake cycles. Light itself is the most important external factor in getting good sleep.”

Like this doesn’t happen anyway??? It's changing the time that disturbs the natural circadian rhythms... 

Ok, all of you brainiac scientists and psychological "experts"; 

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT TIME THE CLOCK SAYS!!!

Changing the clocks back, or ahead, will not change a single, solitary minute as far as how much natural light you get. Your circadian rhythms naturally adjust to the longer or shorter days. And if you get seasonal affective disorder, you're going to get it no matter what time it is!  If you want more daylight, move south.

And my very favorite argument:

When Daylight Savings Time was explained to an elderly Native American man, he commented, "Only a white man can believe that if you cut off the top of a blanket and sew it onto to bottom, you'll have a longer blanket".  

BOOM

 

Trick or Treat

There's a day care close to the office I work at, and on Halloween every year they march the little kids down the sidewalk to trick or treat at the offices nearby. We all know they're coming and stock up on treats for them.

Everyone in our office dressed up for Halloween this year. I've been a cowgirl all my life and had worked on a cattle ranch for six years when I was younger. So Halloween is the one day I can wear my  "real clothes" to work - cowboy hat, western shirt, wild rag, jeans, oilskin duster, cowboy boots and spurs, and a rope slung over one shoulder and across my chest like a bandolier. 

One of the young mothers stopped to get candy for her tiny little baby (and we know who will be eating the candy), looked me up and down and said, “Oh, you must really love Yellowstone”. Thinking she was talking about the national park I gave her a funny look and said, “Oh, I haven’t been there in years”. 

She looked at me like I was stupid and said, “The TV show...”. I told her I’ve never watched it, and she said, “Really? Because you’re dressed just like them.”   

I laughed and said, “Honey, I’ve been dressing like this since I was 14 - they’re dressed like ME.” The guy with her had a good laugh at that, but she apparently took offense and gave him a nasty look. I’m sure he got an earful later.

Some people have NO sense of humor...

 

The Great Kitten Rescue

I had planned on doing some yard work today, as it was mostly sunny and warm enough for only a sweatshirt. But as I was putting tarps up on the dog kennels I hear what sounded like some kind of jaybird, but couldn’t see anything. I followed the sound to the north side of the big shed, and found that it was coming from underneath the shed. I went and got a flashlight and discovered a tiny kitten under there!  It came readily to me, and couldn’t have been more than four or five weeks old. I picked it up and was going to put it in a small crate, and then kicked myself for not getting a crate out before I got the kitten. Duh..

I went into the kennel with the flower pot cages made of 2x3 inch welded wire, and dropped it gently into one of those, but that didn’t work - the kitten bolted right out of it like the hole was the size of a Volkswagon. I went in the house and got the shed key, grabbed the puppy crate and went into the kennel. I could hear the kitten crying loudly but could not see it, even though it sounded like it was barely two feet from me. I kept meowing at it and it continued to respond, and as I followed the sound I found it was in the kennel way to the left, and underneath the large pallet. OMG, how in the world was I going to get it out from under there? 

It was way over on the outside edge, so I took one of the PVC tubes and banged around on that side, then went in the house to get some food to bribe it with. I put several pieces of dog kibble in a little pie tin and soaked it in water, then tossed one of the pieces under the inside end of the pallet. The kitten ate it greedily; it sure was hungry! The kibble however, was not enough to get it out from under the pallet. So back in the house and opened a can of chicken. I put a small piece of the chicken on a plastic fork and dropped it as far under the pallet as I could and the kitten came closer and ate it. That was exactly what I needed to entice it closer and closer to the chain link, where I could (hopefully), snag it and bring it back on this side of the fence. It took forever. I was on my hands and knees in that kennel for almost two hours before I could get it to stick its head through the fence. Once it did, I grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. It fought my grip - strong for such a little thing!  As I tried to get its legs pushed back and maneuvered through the same hole, the little bastard got its head twisted around and bit me. But I could not let go, or I would never catch it, and if its mother was around she wouldn’t be able to get to it to feed it. It’s going to be very cold tonight and I could not let it stay out there and freeze to death.

So with a bleeding finger I managed to get the kitten through the fence and into the puppy crate, which was standing on end with the door on top. I locked the crate and went inside to clean the bite - man did that hurt! Little bastard had teeth like a piranha!  Hope it hasn’t been exposed to rabies...

I called animal control to come and pick it up but was told that they do not dispatch for cats, but I could bring it in tomorrow. I told him I don’t have anywhere to keep it because I could not have it in the house due to a roommate’s allergies, but they didn't seem the least bit concerned. 

I called the humane society and was told that they only take in animals from other counties. WHAT?!?!  That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. I know plenty of people who have dropped animals off there. Hell, I took a ferret there that I found in my front yard one time. Then she said that they don’t have any room for more cats. I told her I guess I would just have to turn it loose because I cannot have it in the house. 

I sent a text to a friend and asked if she wanted a kitten. She said to text a photo because maybe Megan’s sister would take it. A minute later she said she had a  home for it - hers! She and her daughter came over shortly after to pick it up, armed with leather gloves and a large towel. Her daughter wrapped the kitten up in the towel and held it against her chest and the kitten started purring. They stopped by the store and got some kitten food and later said it ate and drank and has settled in for the night.

So - I tried to do a good deed and rescue a kitten, and what do I get in return? A kitten bite. But at least the kitten now has a good home. 

 

And I never did finish getting the tarps up on the kennel...

 

Autumn Sunrise

It was still pretty dark when I left the house this morning, but the sun was making its way up the mountains, and the sky was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen; very dark blue-black and some medium bright crimson mixed into dark purple clouds in between. I wish I could bottle those colors.  

Shine On, Harvest Moon

Big, beautiful harvest moon tonight! 

Why does this moon seem to be so much larger and closer than other moons? Not sure, but it's always amazing to watch it come up over the mountains.

Avian Feast

The weather has been unseasonably warm the past few weeks, and I’m loving it!  When I got home from work today I opened the doors and windows to air out the house, and at some point after that I cacophony of birds. 

Wondering what in the world was going on I peeked out the back door to find the ash trees literally smothered with birds! They covered almost every branch and even the trunks - there was barely enough room for them to move.

Starlings, Finches, Chickadees, a Warbler or two and a few Flickers, all feasting on the aphids; what a sight to see!  I did manage a photo or two before they flew off, but man that was weird!! It felt like Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”, except these birds were after all of the flying aphids on the trees. Feast birds, feast!! 

 

The Buglers

And all of a sudden, it’s Autumn. Leaves are turning a beautiful golden color.

Autumn is my favorite season. The bright, warm colors of the leaves are the perfect contrast to the cool, crisp temperatures, and the sky never looks more blue than it does in the fall.

I need to head up to the Bison Range - the elk rut is on and their bugling ought to be going strong by now!

 

A Good Book

Just finished reading “To Kill a Mockingbird”, for the umpteenth time. It’s one of my very favorite books and never gets old. The movie was great, and followed the book to the letter, but you just can’t beat the feel, the smell and the brain stimulation of a really good book.

Ocean Fever

“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.”

             Sea Fever, by John Mansfield

 

Oh, how I miss the ocean!  This is one of my favorite poems and stirs up so much in my heart and soul. The ocean makes me feel so connected and yet so free. The smell of the salt air, the cry of the gulls and the roar of the waves crashing on the rocks near the shore. I think I have been the happiest and most at peace at the Oregon coast. I need to go again, and soon!    .

 

 

Ode to a Boll Weevil

Seriously. In the middle of town in Enterprise, Alabama there is a pest on a pedestal - the boll weevil. In the late 1800s to early 1900s, cotton was king, not just in Enterprise but all over the southern US. The entire town of Enterprise and it’s residents livelihoods depended solely on the cotton industry. 

By the time the weevils hit Enterprise, they had already been national news, and it didn’t take long for the residents to see first hand what kind of destruction the weevil could bring; entire fields lay bare, and everything, entire lives were changed, literally overnight. 

With no money from the cotton, there was no money for food, clothing, tools, or home products; and no money to pay back the bank. Entire homes were in jeopardy; everything in the town was built or purchased from the income from the cotton. But the destructive boll weevils nearly wiped out the entire town of Enterprise.

But more changes were coming.  Roughly 75 miles north, at Tuskegee University, was a young man who would change everything, for Enterprise, for Alabama and for the entire southern US. His name was George Washington Carver, and how he changed the success of the south was to introduce a new crop that was resistant to the evil weevils - peanuts. Carver led to the development and introduction of the many uses for the lowly peanut, which increased the demand for the peanuts the farmers would eventually grow.

Up until 1915, no one planted peanuts, and any that happened to grow were used as fodder for pigs and cattle. It was only when the weevil wiped out the cotton crop that the Enterprise farmers tried something new.

In the middle of the town of Enterprise now stands a statue of a woman holding a boll weevil overhead. Many businesses have jumped on the band wagon as well, with human-sized boll weevils perched outside of numerous businesses, offices and shops. There is a fireman boll weevil, a school teacher boll weevil in front of the school, a police officer boll weevil, a doctor & nurse in front of the local medical center, a mechanic weevil, a chef weevil in front of a pizza parlor and even a McWeevil in front of the local McDonald's. There is the BOWL weevil bowling alley, the Boll Weevil Soap Company and the Boll Weevil Bakery. There are t-shirts referring to the pesky bugs, including one that says “Fear No Weevil”.

Tourism to Enterprise has exploded since the parody weevils showed up, and people come from all over the US to see them, have their photos taken with them, and but weevil souvenirs, and the town is thriving.  

The town mayor states that it isn’t paying homage to the weevils, but rather a reminder of what they have overcome.  

 

 

Pass it On

Stopped at Wendy’s on my way home this afternoon for a take out supper; I did not feel like fixing anything...  There was a young man ahead of me who was ordering something to go, and his total came out to $8.00 and change. He opened his wallet and pulled out some cash, and was $1.90 short. He stood there for a moment, looking very embarrassed that he didn’t have enough money, and then told the cashier that he didn’t have enough to pay for it, and started to back away. 

I pulled two one dollar bills out of my wallet and gave it to him. He looked completely stunned, and asked, “Are you sure?” I assured him that it was fine, and he took the money and just stood there, looking utterly surprised. Then he turned and handed the money to the cashier, got his change (ten cents), and handed me the dime.  I told him to put it in the adoption box, which he did, and then looked at me and said, “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” 

I smiled at him and said, “You can thank me by doing something nice for someone else.” He thought about that for a moment and then gave me a smile and said, “Yeah... I will!” and then left. As I was getting into my car, I saw him get out of his car, walk up to a homeless person sitting on the lawn by the sidewalk, and give the old man his French fries. 

 

Pass it on.

 

Sleep...

Too exhausted to write anything today.... I need a week of sleep.

 

The Red Fox

There are four kinds of foxes in North America: the Arctic Fox, the Gray Fox, the Kit Fox and the familiar Red Fox.

The Arctic Fox, as its name suggests, live at, near or above the Arctic Circle. They are brown during the summer and turn white in the winter. As many arctic mammals do, they have small ears, which protects the blood flow during the freezing winter months. Arctic Foxes live primarily on mice, voles or other small mammals.

The Gray Fox lives from extreme southern Canada throughout the US, with the exception of Montana (of course), Wyoming and most of Washington (what, it occurs in Idaho???). and ranges into Mexico and Central America. The Gray Fox is more cat-like than dog-like and can climb trees like a cat!  Because of this ability they are sometimes called “Tree Fox” or “Cat Fox”. The pupils of their eyes are also oval like a cat’s eyes, rather than slit-shaped like other foxes.

At only five pounds, the Kit Fox is the smallest member of the fox family and lives is semi-arid to desert habitat in the American Southwest and parts of northern and central Mexico. Just as the Arctic Fox has smaller ears to help hold in body heat, the Kit fox has the largest ears to help release body heat and keep it cool in its desert habitat. 

The most common fox is the Red Fox, which lives in a variety of habitats, from woodland and forest, to open fields and sage brush. They are also fairly common in small towns, suburbs, and even cities! The name Red Fox is somewhat misleading however. While the most common color is a rusty red, they come in a variety of coat colors. The Cross Fox in a lighter version of the Red Fox, and has a dorsal stripe down it’s back and another stripe across the shoulders on each side, hence the name “Cross Fox”.  The “red” fox can also be solid black, which is the rarest color, but if the black guard hairs are tipped in light gray, it is then known as a Silver Fox. The different colors are not sub-species, but are all the same animal, and kits of every color variation can be born in the same litter.

A typical litter is 4 to 5 pups and they start exploring outside near their den around mid-May.

Foxes can make over 40 different sounds, and use the earth’s magnetic field to hunt! 

How?? I need to research this! 

 

Write From the Heart

I love to write. It's my escape from the chaos of everyday life, and a place I go when I need to reconnect with myself. There are times when, from one tiny idea, my fingers type relentlessly and the words are an endless flow of unconsciousness - as if they are typing themselves and my fingers are just a vessel to get the words on paper. When I finally stop I’m always amazed at how much is written and I often wonder where the words came from; obviously somewhere deep inside my soul, because they did not come from my conscious mind…

 

The USS Montana

Rural Montana Magazine has an article this month on the newly commissioned nuclear sub, named the USS Montana, and WOW! 

A volunteer committee from the state of Montana planned the commissioning ceremony, along with many other activities and ideas.

The commissioning ceremony included a tribal drum group doing an honor song, tribal elders from the Salish-Kootenai tribes doing an honor ceremony, and a luncheon that included handmade pasties from Butte. Officers and crew members assigned to the boat had previously been flown to Montana, to see how special our state is. There are future plans to bring other crew members to visit Montana.

Artifacts and photos of Montana will be all over the boat, along with signage to explain what an item is, what it was used for and other interesting facts about it. The boat will also carry with it, throughout its life, a sacred peace pipe, bestowed on it by Montana’s tribes. Bunks in the sleeping quarters are named after Montana towns, and the walkways are named after Montana rivers. The machinery room, which is where the sub makes its own drinking water (how do you make water??), and pumps it to where it is needed, was named “The Big Hole pumping station.

Prints of Charlie Russell paintings adorn the walls. Tables in the mess area are covered with images and facts of Montana, along with several images and some facts about both the University of Montana and Montana State University, and a “wrap” was placed on the walls of the mess, with imagery of Glacier National Park. They even have Montana shaped cribbage boards!

A young man from Cut Bank is one of two Montanans who currently serve on the submarine. When he was asked to list where he would like to be stationed, he requested to be aboard the Montana, which at the time wasn’t even commissioned yet. He said that serving on a ship named after Montana makes him proud, and that it motivates him every single day. When asked what it’s like to live in a relatively confined space with a large crew for months on end, he answered, “It’s more normal than you think. It’s like a couple billion dollar, underwater, nuclear powered RV.”

The crew has been dubbed “Vigilantes of the Deep”, a take-off of the Montana Air national Guard’s 120^th, known as the “Vigilantes”, and Governor Gianforte has declared that all members of the crew will be honorary citizens of Montana.   

There were photos in the article showing some of the “décor”; this sub will be a floating museum!  Do they do this kind of stuff with all of the ships that are named after states??  I’ve never heard of it before - maybe Montana is the first one! 

Little Critter Visit

What a wonderful end to an oh, so ordinary day!  At about 8:30 this evening I took the hummingbird feeders down, one at a time, to wash and refill them. When I took the second one outside, a hummer - that I believe to be an immature male - couldn’t even wait until I hung it up to take a drink. It flew all around me, up to inches away from my face, and then settled on the perch of the feeder, while I still had it in my hand!  

I was also very happy to see him feeding from the flowers on the deck!!  He spent quite a bit of time at the geraniums, checked out the marigolds and drank from the dahlias.  

The Gift of a Feather

Went for a walk this morning, and the seagulls were headed back toward the river. I could see dozens of shadows skirting past me on the ground, but one in particular looked odd, so I looked up - and the odd little shadow was from a feather!  I stood and watched it as it slowly floated downward, rocking slightly back and forth. As it floated closer to me I held my hand out, palm up, and it landed softly in my hand, as if it were a gift from the gull itself.

What is the gift of a feather?

According to one Native American website, feathers are widely believed among Native Americans to signify the connection between The Creator, the owner of the feather, and the bird from whom the feather came. Deeply revered, the feather symbolizes high honor, power, wisdom, trust, strength, and freedom. As such, feathers are seen as gifts from the sky.

 

Cirque Ma'Ceo

Cirque Ma’Ceo will be at the Missoula Horse Park for the next four days, and I’m excited to be shooting photos for them!  I so hope I can get some good ones. It will definitely be tough; the tracking for their spotlights is not working, so it’s going to be very dark in there with no lights to brighten up the performers. But I'm going to give it my best! 

Seriously, This is Summer?

Who would have thought that in the middle of JUNE, I would need to turn on the heater and put the winter blankets back on the bed?!?!   

The weather has been unusually cold and wet this spring, and temperatures feel more like late fall than almost summer. Daytime temps have been in the low to mid 50's for the past week and a half, with nighttime temps as low as the mid to high 30's! 

We've gone from 60's and 70's, to 30's and 40's, to high 50's and back again. Forecast for next week is high 70's to mid 80's, and then more rain and low temps, and frost. 

Mother Nature must be going through menopause!

Fox Dream

I had a dream that I was at a local park with my camera, and met up with a young man who was also taking photos. He asked about foxes and said he wanted to take photos of them but could not find them, and thought perhaps they were all gone from this area. I told him they were not and began looking around, and spotted a fox den not far from where we were standing. I pointed it out to him and suddenly noticed that there was a large, male fox in the den, peering out at us. We both turned and pointed our cameras at it to get photos, when the fox came out of its den and walked towards us. It was not aggressive or dangerous, and didn’t act afraid, nor were we feel afraid of it or threatened by it. As the fox reached us, it slowly walked walked right up to us and began winding around our legs like a cat, and then disappeared.

I love symbolism in a spiritual way, and I don’t recall ever dreaming about a fox before, so out of curiosity I did several days of online research, as well as a few books I have about Native American spiritualism and symbolism, and came up with the following:

Animals have long been revered for their mystical significance among humans. Seeing a fox in your path is not something to be taken lightly, for it is regarded to be a divine message. Witnessing a red fox is an indication of someone who is full of life and enthusiasm. If you don’t believe in yourself and your dreams, you’ll never achieve them.

Seeing a Fox in your dream can also be interpreted as a spiritual wake-up call, urging you to use your head in order to overcome your problems. A fox dream indicates that it’s time to get into a fight with adversity.

If Fox has chosen to share its medicine with  you, it is a sign that you are to become like the wind, which is unseen yet is able to weave into and through any location or situation. You would be wise to observe the acts of others rather than their words at this time. Use your cunning nature in a positive way; keep silent about who and what and why you are observing. In learning the art of camouflage, you need to test your abilities to pull this off.

While learning from Fox, you might also gain confidence in your ability to know instantly what will happen next. After observing for a while, you will become aware of a certain predictability in given situations and be able to quickly make your move.

 

The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo

I started a new book today called, “The Girl Who Sang to the Buffalo”, by Kent Nerburn. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but wow, I’m so engrossed in this book! 

It’s written in first person and the author writes about a Lakota friend of his, who is getting older and will probably be “walking his last journey” before long. He tells the author that he and his sister were taken from their family and sent to an Indian school, His sister disappeared from the school and he wants the author to help him find out what happened to her. He suggests talking to a woman named Mary, who was also taken to the school as a young girl. He calls Mary a few times and she tells him she ‘knows something’, so he makes plans to drive out to see her, only to find that she died before he arrived. Her daughter gives him a journal that Mary wrote, which sends him on a very arduous journey into the Native American culture. He meets many people who all have bits and pieces of the story of the little girl, and he has to put all of the pieces together.

I haven’t gotten to the place that tells what happened to the girl yet, but OMG, I can’t put this book down!  His descriptive phrases are incredible in both phrasing and detail; my mind’s eye can actually see what his words are describing.

He’s written a number of books, and when this one is finished, I’m getting another one! He could very well turn out to be one of my favorite authors! 

 

Chpa'aqn

For some time now, every morning when I go to work and every evening when I come home, I look to the north east to see the tall and pointed mountain, and  the phrase, “talk to the mountain”, pops into my head. I do talk to her from time to time; I suppose to find answers, guidance, comfort and peace. She is always there, never fading, never judging; a solid and stoic figure, like a guardian over the valley, and it always makes me happy to see her. For years I knew her as Squaw Peak.

While the mountain may have been called different names by different tribes, she was originally known as "Chpa'aqn" by the local tribes. When the French trappers began to hunt and trap this area, they called it “Squaw’s Tit”. 

As early as 1863, Captain John Mullan referred to it as “Skiotah Peak”, and in 1918 that name was made official by the Board of Geographic Names. One year later, the name was overturned and the mountain was officially named “Squaw Peak”, and the name Squaw Peak has appeared on Federal maps since 1959 and on County maps since 1958.  

Native Americans all across the country have long tried to change the names of many locations throughout the U.S. with the name “squaw”, as to them it is a very derogatory word (basically meaning “vagina”, which was basically all the Indian women were to the French trappers). Somewhere between 1999 and 2002, after a long and arduous campaign, the the native people won their battle, and the name of the mountain was changed to Chpa'aqn.

 

Bees

Took a walk around the neighborhood this evening, and someone has a flowering crabapple tree in their yard that was FULL of bees, and it makes me happy to see them.

I think I need one of these trees in my yard! They get bigger than I thought, so maybe in front of my office window; far enough away from the house to let it grow, but close enough to provide shade in the summer.

There are bees in the backyard as well, loving the dandelions. Makes me sad to have to mow them down, but the grass is getting WAY too high… 

I got curious about how long it takes bees to make honey and did a little online research. Here’s what I found:

            On average, it takes one worker bee to produces 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.

            So it takes 12 bees to produce one teaspoon of honey. In order to produce one

            tablespoon of honey it takes 36 bees. In order to produce a gallon of honey, it

            takes 9,216 bees! Taking that further, to produce ½ pound of honey it takes

            about 30,000 bees traveling 27,500 miles and visiting more than a million flowers

            to gather the nectar required.

WOW! No wonder they are called “busy bees”!

There are **15** types of bees in Montana! 

Bumblebees: Scientifically, Bumblebees should not be able to fly. Their body mass and weight are greater than their wing size and wingspan. They are theoretically to heavy to fly. Thankfully, the bees don’t know how to read. Even though “bumbles” do not produce honey, they are essential pollinators for fruit and vegetable crops, feeding on nectar of the flowers, and collecting pollen to feed their young. They can sting more than once because they don’t lose their stingers, but are typically very docile and will only sting if they feel threatened.

European (western) Honey Bees:- these are the only group of bees that produce honey!  In each hive there is only one breeding female (the queen), whose sole purpose is to lay eggs. The drones are males whose job it to fertilize the queen’s eggs. The worker bees are all females who do not mate, but build and maintain the nest and feed all of the young. The worker bees also gather pollen, so all of the bees you see around your garden and fruit trees are female!

 

 

Moody Weather

The mountain is moody today, wrapping itself in a thick blanket of dark and restless clouds. I know how it feels…

The seagulls were restless today too. One began circling overhead, then two, then four, then nine, then 25 and more! They circled low, flapping their wings slowly to keep themselves afloat. Then they seemed to catch a wave of warmer air and soared, climbing higher and higher, surfing on the thermal, until they were almost out of sight.

I wish I could join them. How wonderful it must feel to be so free!

 

Habitat House

Today I helped on a Habitat House! One of my co-workers qualified and on Friday she put a notice out on FB for helpers, because the entire crew cancelled. I was the only one who showed up. That’s disgusting.

The foundation was poured last Thursday, and they used the Styrofoam forms. Those are very cool! Not only sturdy enough for the concrete, but excellent insulation as well.

I got there around 9:30, and Kelly (crew chief and mentor), had already scored a line about four inches from the top of the foundation, where we had to use a small hand saw and pry bars to remove the entire top four inches of the Styrofoam blocks. Once the floor is poured, it will adhere to the exposed section of the wall and make a very solid foundation for the house. They will back fill the “pit” where we had been working on Tuesday, and the plumbers will then get the pipes and hoses set where they need to be and then the floor will be poured. Once that is all done and set, they can start building the walls! Assuming all of the supplies will be delivered on time (and that is never an assumption in construction), the new owner should be in her new house no later than October!  

On a side note, when we took the trash to the dumpster, there was a perfectly good wheelbarrow in there. I dragged it out and pushed it back to the H house, because I really could use a good wheelbarrow. Kelly said the dumped it because the wheel keeps falling off. I called Ace Hardware and was told they have wheels in stock for various models, and the highest price is around $50. Hell, it would most likely cost me four times that much for a good heavy duty wheelbarrow, so I loaded it up in the back of my car and brought it home. I couldn't believe I actually got that thing into the car!  It was a snug fit, but it worked. 

Now I have to get the wheel assembly off and go get a new wheel. Worse case scenario, if I can't get a new wheel for it, I'll spray paint it bright yellow and plant flowers in it!

Black-chinned?

As I walked out the door to go to work this morning, there was a hummingbird one of the feeders - sleeping! I wonder if it had been there all night??  As I stepped out onto the deck it popped its head up and just sat there for a brief moment, and then quickly flew away. It looked like a Black-chinned! I don’t think I’ve ever seen one anywhere before, let along at my feeders! 

Why Do I Write Poetry?

I love writing poetry, but I cannot just sit down and tell myself I'm going to write something. It comes from elsewhere, somewhere outside of my mind and body. It comes in on whim, a breeze, a scent, a sound.It starts with a tiny seed; and idea that burrows into my mind and grows into an idea, and then matures into words. It might happen in a few moments, a few days, or even a few months. One poem I wrote took three years to complete. But however long it takes, once it's planted - it stays until I free it from my mind and onto paper.

Most of my poetry is inspired by nature; by the sights, smells, sounds and textures that surround me in the woods, by the river, the ocean, winds on the prairie, etc. I love to absorb myself in nature, and for me the best way to hold it close to my heart is to write about it

A Breath of Spring

Took a short walk this morning; what a beautiful morning! Blue sky with a few puffy clouds, and birds singing from seemed like every single tree, post and rooftop. House Finches, Goldfinches, Chickadees, Robins, Meadowlarks, warblers and a House Wren.

Spring sounds so lovely.

I bought a couple of hummingbird feeders yesterday, yes two more new ones. Just trying to find one that keeps the damn bees and hornets off of the feeders. I really like the first ones I got (and so do the hummingbirds), they’re smaller with straight glass and very easy to clean, but the nectar fills the entire reservoir beneath the glass and the hornets have a feast. I’ve tried to find bee guards for them but apparently they don’t make them anymore…  seriously?  The ones I got yesterday have four feeding stations and built in bee guards that the hornets cannot get through, nor can they reach the nectar. Maybe these will work.

I hung the hummer feeders up yesterday evening, even though it may be a bit early. But they’re migrating now and maybe I can entice some of them to stay.

I also purchased some flowers and herbs for the front porch. Marigolds and red salvia for the hanging planters (if I can figure out how to set them up to hang), chives, spearmint, English thyme, lemon thyme, basil, chamomile, lemon balm, bee balm, and a few others I can’t think of off the top of my head.

I still need lavender (In a barrel at the foot of the steps), blanket flower, and a few other natives.

 

Today I Made a Book!

Today I made a book! 

I signed up for an Art Journaling class at the Lifelong Learning Center. I thought it was going to be something along the lines of nature journaling, but to my surprise (and joy), we actually made out own journals! 

The teacher’s version of art was cutting and pasting pictures from a magazine, or painting the pages, etc. My version will be much different. I will probably cut and past a few things, do some sketches I may even try to add some color to them with watercolor paints!), add facts about the animal or bird I’m sketching, and will definitely include some of my poems! 

The first thing I will do however is to unstitch everything and complete the covers, and then stitch it back together with sinew instead of embroidery thread. The sinew will last so much longer. My theme will be “Wild and Free”.

In the way home I made a jaunt over to Joanne Fabric to purchase some scrapbook paper, which was on sale for .20 a sheet!  I picked ones that would have an outdoor or animal/insect theme. Not sure yet how I will use it but I’ll think of something. I did find one paper design in particular that I loved and wanted to use for my cover, but it was in a huge book of papers that cost $23.00 No way will I pay that much for one sheet of paper. Maybe But when I went to the checkout, it was also on sale and only cost $12.99 - now that’s more like it!

I also ran into one of the lady’s in the class, and I commented that I would love to see her book when it’s done. She said that we should all get together for coffee somewhere, and share what we’ve done. I think it’s a grand idea! 

 

It's for the Birds

I’ve been fascinated by birds for my entire life. 

I remember at a very young age - possible even as young as two or three years old, walking across the back yard and hearing a bird singing. I looked up and saw a bird that was the same color as the sky; pale blue. Knowing now what I could have never even begun to comprehend at that young age, was that the only bird that could have possibly been was a Mountain Bluebird.

The only other solid blue bird is the Indigo Bunting, which are found in the eastern US, and are a much darker, more vivid color. We lived on the east side of San Francisco Bay, where there are no mountains to speak of, but where Mountain Bluebirds are actually quite common.

I think my earliest memory of bird-watching per se, was probably at that same age, sitting in front of a floor to ceiling picture window in the living room and watching Brewer’s and Red-winged blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Grackles, feeding on bugs and flower seeds in the front yard. No, at that time I did not know what they were, but I can still vividly remember what they looked like and the calls they made. The Red-wings especially were, and still are, very distinctive.

I have become passionate about bird watching, and even more passionate about bird photography, although the latter takes so much more patience and stealth. But having a few “go to” locations for finding and photographing them most certainly helps feed that passion.

 

Lucky Number 13

Friday the 13^th. BUT… it’s going to be a great day - I saw a white buffalo!!  It was Faith; the white calf that was born in Lolo a couple of years ago. She is currently residing with the small herd of heifers just down the road from my house. I had to stop to get a couple of photos but she was walking away from me, so I got a nice shot of a white buffalo butt…  However, now that I know where she is, I can wander down there to get some better shots. I’m pretty sure she’ll be there at least until late summer (??), and it seems like maybe early mornings would be best - at least that’s when I’ve often see the herd closer to the road, so I'll have to keep checking!  

First stock dog trial of the year, and I was talking to someone near the holding pens. I started to turn around and almost stepped on a little tiny lamb! It walked right up to me, sniffing at me and I petted him. Then he walked over to a bottle that was lying on the ground and was trying to chew on it. It was half full of milk, so I picked it up and the lamb was trying desperately trying to get it. I held it up and he drank it all down - he was hungry!  A little later Jim put it into the pen with the other lambs, and there was one ewe with twins; one black and one white. The little brown lamb attached itself to that black ewe, so now he has siblings and a mama.