Freezing Fog

That’s just what we had…cold but amazingly beautiful.  Inside we tried our hand at freestyle pumpkin carving with varied results.  I let the kids go at it…each to their own pumpkin.  On the bright side when the lights are out and the candles are lit they all look pretty good.  Ever want to see the world through the eyes of a jack ‘o lantern?  Well now you can.  The life of a pumpkin…while fascinating just couldn’t keep me from the frosted world outside..care for a cup of frosted tea or coffee?  The remaining leaves seem stunned.  The ice looks like it’s been touched by Jack Frost himself.  The grass seems stunned by this turn of frosty events…should it be green, brown or just snow covered?  I think the trees got the best coverage by the frosty artist’s touch.  The sun was working to melt off the frost making interesting crackling sounds everywhere.  Perhaps the leaves needed a shave anyway.  The snow still looked like powdered diamonds.  I quickly snapped up my pictures before the sun took away this moment.  Many spray their trees with chemical flocking but have you seen the real deal?  Each needle covered well…perfectly in fact.  Now we have a melt off…nothing looks all that beautiful at the moment but I come away grateful…I  not only enjoyed the moment myself but shared the brief winter scenery here with you before it was gone.

Have a Nice Trip This Fall

Have you ever heard that saying in elementary school?  Usually this was said before someone tripped somebody else.  However nothing tripped me up when one morning was just too beautiful not to photograph.  Our fall this year is all about golden hueswith occasional accents in red.  All of this with a famous Montana sapphire sky and you can consider my breath taken .  Close up inspections reveal the time of fall fading quickly.  For now the light is so awesome as it shines on this fall wonderland.  The golds are all the more gold and the red is like flame.  It’s just our yard but it’s a stairway to heaven right now.  Fall does have it’s charm.  The season has true majesty I admit.  I may not be rich as some count it but I have treasure none the less.  No chest holds this treasure…it’s free for all to see. 

Hawkish

We had a visitor recently.  Not one we particularly expected.  During our walks we witness them at times…once one was even eating on someone’s driveway.  This time was very close…right on our deck in fact.  I believe this is a prairie falcon…enjoying his morning breakfast.  Sadly these photos are through some dirty windows…lot’s of rain lately.  Still it was an amazing sight to behold.  The poor bird he was eating was being absolutely shredded.  It was before my breakfast but I was fine to not share with the falcon.  I enjoyed my coffee and watched the falcon until it flew away.  Times like this I wouldn’t trade living in Montana for anything in the world.

Seasons, They Change.

Walking outside my Dad ran across  an amazing site.  We occasionally have turtles near the ponds near our house but this one was huge!  His clawed feet were as big as my hand.  He was tagged…we moved him with the help of a neighbor and his wheel barrow to a safe spot near a large pond away from the street.  Slow as these creatures appear they have a way of getting where they want to go…he was back in the smaller pond a few days later.  Change is like that..sometimes it seems it will never come or is very slow then…it’s upon you.  My African brother Joseph came for a visit that was like that…before I knew it he was back in the airport leaving us again.  My heart was aching to see him go but I thought our other dear friend from Ireland would be around so that would help.  All too soon he was leaving too.  Now we’ve no company and the season is changing at last.  There’s a bite in the air that the sun doesn’t take away now.  There’s a golden hue to the sun now that whispers of fall.  Kids don’t have as long to play outside…but still try to hang on to the days.  Sun fades quickly nowbut still the kids play on….  Fact is a friend of Gabby’s friend invited us for his 8th birthdayand it was the perfect fall day for it.  Falls’ last blossoms are blooming.  Leaves are changing color.  Yellow is our most prevalent fall color here.  We may not have all the reds of some places but we do yellow right.  Some mornings are cool enough to bite the leaves and try to dampen the leaves beauty…rotting the edges…still I think it’s a frame of a nice picture still.  Observe the speckles…change is comingbut we can often observe season’s change and miss change God has in mind for us.  Take courage my friends, whatever season it may appear to be you are in the hands of God.