Being Roomless Provides a View

There are times when thinking in a box is attributed with being Conservative however I don’t believe this to be true at all.  Being Conservative to me is much like being a Republic.  It’s not that you don’t move forward, it’s that you move forward with principles.  I don’t believe this hinders progress, I believe it brings forward values that keep us strong while staying away from that which does us harm.  I will never believe that the end justifies the means and if that’s your idea of progress you need to see where this thinking has brought those that followed such ideas in the past.  If you’re progressive…ask yourself where you’re progressing to and from…it matters.  Cryptic?  Well, it’s where my mind has been. 

I’ve seen a return to winter weather once again.  It has a beauty of it’s own but I have to leave the comfort of my home to really appreciate it.  There were no comforts outside.  Fact is there was no chair that I’d want to sit inbut the beauty was worth seeing…and because I brought my principle with me…in this case my camera…I could share the beauty with you all where you don’t have to feel the bite in the air.  The sky has a wonderful blue here usually but the white contrast made it all the more spectacular.  I love the view from the back yard…I wish sometimes I had a big wall picture of it yet if I did maybe I wouldn’t want to come out and see it as it changes with the seasons.  It’s actually been warm enough this winter that I’m quite spoiled…since when have I ever considered anything above zero cold?  I love when the brilliant winter sun silhouettes the trees this wayand I also love when the snow sticks to the branches.  The snow can make things appear like they belong in a snow globe.  The stones in the yard look like Mexican wedding cookiesand the evergreens have a dusting that looks much like confectioner’s sugar…or am I just hungry?  This tree is one of my favorites.  I’m very glad we have vinyl fence…the weathering would quickly destroy it after a couple years like we’ve had.  Some neighbors have wooden fences that were put up just last year that are already showing weathering however ours remains strong…even in the powerful wind we get up here in the Heights.  The truth is I will never get tired of this view.  I love the shadows, I love the white and blue…I love it all.  I still have to admit that though the sugar of winter might look sweetbut I like the feel of warmer seasons far more!  If you venture out of your comfort zone…which I hope you do…don’t forget to bring your principles with you…that doesn’t make you closed minded…it makes you wise.

An Excursion

As many of you know my wife is a photographer…not like me who just likes to take pictures with my little point and shoot to share things on my blog, she is a professional who actually works with a magazine here in town.  I don’t often go with her on her outings to take pictures but this time I was invited and took her up on it.  I had been taking pictures of an occasional sunset or two.  It’s actually been warmer however it feels really chill especially when the wind comes up but there are times when it’s more than worth it to capture God’s evening picture.  Getting an invite to go and take some pictures indoors was kind of nice and I just can’t beat the company of my wife.  We used my i-touch to navigate to the little truck stop where we Lovely was to take pictures.  It was chilly but not as bad as it could be…I think I’m spoiled from a mostly easy winter…it still feels cold to me.  The truck stop is near a little town called Laurel.  This is a farming community and you’re never far from the classic things from Montana history…even at gas stations or truck stops.  I really do love this state.  The truck stop has a little restaurant and a store with various items that I found really interesting.  Check out these hand bags:  .  This place also had some custom made boots that were unlike any I’ve ever seen.  There were belts that were really decked out.  Some of the items were food or coffee related.  The classic combo of course was the bootsand the hats.  I am sure some of these things tasted great.  I’m a big spice lover and I certainly like coffee so this was a blast for me.  Some of this stuff just was about as stereo typical I suppose but I still like it.  The boots were on sale.  Buy a pair get a cheaper pair free.  I thought it was kind of a good idea to have the classic items mixed with more contemporary fashion.  How about you?  Would you try a pair of these?  I have to admit I’m a Montanan but I’ve not had a pair of boots since I was a little kid…not sure I’d ever buy something like this but Lovely thought they were amazing.  We finished the photo shoot…the owner and workers there were really nice but it was time to head out to get something to eat at our favorite restaurant.  We like to try something new each time we go and this time was no exception.  Finally we made it home in time for another sunset.  The snow is mostly melted once again but the chill breeze still keeps it cold.  I am very glad for our outing…everyone needs that once in a while!  Now I’m back behind my familiar viewbut I’m equipped with some new memories…it’s nice!  Have a great day!

The Melt is On

The warmth returned some and started to melt off some of the snow but with it came wind that doesn’t make the increased temperatures very pleasant.  I really will be happy to have things warm enough where we can go out to our little patio in the back yard and see more than brown grass and melting snow.  Some of the snow melted a bit and then froze so I expect it will be with us for quite a while.  The lava rocks help the melting process and leave some interesting pock marks in the remaining snowwhile a visiting kitty left paw prints to show of his or her passing.  I love the little islands of snow remaining on our sandstone rocks…it makes me think that before too long we may see that winter is surrounded and on the way out.  For now the paw print of winter remains and I don’t see it leaving just yet.

It’s Coming…

I knew it couldn’t last forever, It’s been very warm and mostly snow free.  All that was left was a little snow from Christmas.  I was looking at it and thinking we were doing pretty good…maybe I’ll be mowing in February if this keeps up.  I saw a winter weather watch come up…then it turned to a warning saying we may get around ten inches of snow and the frigid weather I hate so much.  I can feel the approach of this storm already…the sky has that look it gets when a storm approaches as well.  The wind has really come up so I figure this thing really is inevitable now.  If this thing really plays out I may have a whole different world to share with you in pictures next week.  For now we wait and see what is in store.  Sometimes I think waiting is what makes us…that’s the time when faith really shines.  It’s easy to degrade to worry but if we give to that we miss the strength that can come from difficulty.  Looking at some vases we have that I really like made me think about this.  We spend so much time wanting to know what’s on the other side…what’s inside the package but like these vases that’s not where the beauty lies.  Sometimes we need to appreciate the wrapping…the faith it takes to make the beauty of who we are to come later to appreciate the whole picture.  The vase needs the outside to be able to hold whatever you want to put inside itand I think faith makes us what we’re meant to be so God can put His blessings inside us as well.