I [Heart] My Life

Montana Memories...

Some more pictures from our Fourth of July trip to see Kyle & Whitney in Plains. In case you haven't been playing along at home, you can find the whole Montana 2011 series of posts here. 

This was my first time buying firecrackers. Can you believe that? 34 years old, and never bought firecrackers before. Maybe because they are illegal in CA... My neighbors don't let that pesky little fact bother them, though... 

This was Nia's first time doing sparklers. I was really excited for her to do them. I vividly remember doing sparklers as a kid! We did sparklers and some other G-rated fireworks that lit up and spun on the ground and had different colors. Nia was a little worried at first, but then totally into it. 

*sigh* Santa Cruz has one or two things going for it, too, but I would so much rather be on the banks of this river thank sitting at my laptop now... Until next year!

PS: We'll definitely be doing the Slip 'n Slide again next year!

 

Remembering Montana: Corona Lake

We are home again now from our lovely trip to Montana. We got back to Santa Cruz around 2a on Thursday morning after a series of delays due to thunderstorms in Denver. As usual, Nia was a regular trooper and cheery and chatty until slightly after leaving Denver at 11p. Then, she slipped off to sleep and managed to sleep all the way through to waking up in Santa Cruz in the morning! Wish I could have done the same, although it was a treat to settle back and watch a movie on the plane. I don't think I've done that in 3+ years! 

Our last full day in Montana, we went up into the mountains to escape the heat. We spent the afternoon at Corona Lake, a sweet little spot with absolutely no other visitors. Nia spent the time splashing in the water, chasing the dogs, exploring the woods, looking for treasures. At one point, she and Kyle walked the perimeter of the lake. When they were across from Whitney and I, Nia howled like a coyote. I howled back, which Kyle later said made Nia worry she'd woken the wolves! (Wolves were a theme for Nia in Montana: Wondering if we'd see any, would they be nice or scary, etc. -- alas, we did not see any, though they were there.)

It is lovely to be home but it was such a sweet vacation... one that will live in our memories for a long time.

 

 

Montana Cont'd: How to Build a Dam

Before we left for Montana, I read a review for a book called something along the lines of Let Your Kids Do Dangerous Things. It included all kinds of fun, essential childhood conquests like supergluing your fingers together, spear-throwing, tree-climbing, etc. One thing on the list that wasn't especially dangerous but brought back a flood of fond memories from my summer camping trips as a kid was Dam Building. I knew immediately that it was time for Nia to learn how to build a dam, and the simple joy in influencing nature's course. However, I have a broken foot. Thus, the MT trip was well-timed so that she could learn from Uncle Kyle while I chronicled the great moment in her childhood. 

 

 

Montana Cont'd: Horses

Kyle has a horse, Tes. We went one afternoon to visit her, and her stable-mate, Midget, on a beautiful piece of land outside of town. Breathtaking. Nia said that when she is older, she'll have a horse and she'll walk it on a rope and feed it hay and it will live with us with the daddy horse and the baby horse in the backyard. 

Montana Cont'd: Beating the Heat

Water balloons! Gardening! Dining outdoors! Watermellon! ~ A pretty quintessential summer vacation, no?

 
 

Montana Cont'd: Building a Chicken Run

We've spent the last two days hanging around Kyle and Whitney's, mostly building an outdoor area for the 25+ adolescent chickens. Well, Nia helped; I rested my foot (yes, that's what I was doing all that time in the shade with a beer, yes...). It's really heated up (today was close to 90 in my shade!), so there was a lot of water play too: sprinklers & water balloons (both a first for Nia). We ate dinner outside both days, and did the best we could to avoid becoming dinner for the mosquitos. 

Nia and Whitney decided to give the ladies their first taste of the big outdoors, while Kyle continued to build the real chicken run. Some chickens were braver than others, and a little cracked corn help sweeten the deal.

At last, the run was done the chickens were invited, coaxed out!

 

Montana Summer Adventure: Getting Here

We're here!

Nia and I left home for Montana bright and early Thursday morning. We flew through Seattle to Spokane, and then Kyle & Whitney met us and drove us to Plains, MT by way of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. We left Santa Cruz at 7a, and arrived in Plains around 9pm -- whew!

Nia was a happy little traveler, though. We enjoyed our day, watching Mary Poppins and having a lolly pop or two.

After Kyle and Whitney met us, we stopped for dinner in Coeur d' Alene, then as we continued on, Nia enjoyed a rare nap and Kyle, Whitney and I caught up, and I was blown away -- as I usually am! -- by the breathtaking scenes passing by outside my window. Green, green, green valleys and beautiful forested mountains, still capped with a bit of snow, not to mention the endless sky. The rivers are running brown, fast and over-full. And we spotted a few elk out the window too (big!!). 

When we get to Plains, it was still light out (it doesn't get truly dark till around 10:30p), so there was time to meet some new chickens, reacquaint with some dogs, and taste some home-grown strawberries. 

Ah, yes, it is good to be here.