A Greek State of Mind

It's amazing how fast a week goes by. Even though the pace of life is generally slower in the Greek islands, somehow time just flies.

Another trip has come and gone. At the beginning of the trip you meet a group of people who are complete strangers and by the end you know all about their children, how they react to stress, and what makes them happy. You all share this intense experience, and then it's done. For the most part people go their separate ways and it all fades into memories and photo albums. The ephemeral quality of this community doesn't make it any less real or valuable, it just leaves you slightly breathless and disoriented. It takes me a couple days to find my feet again. 

A week ago we were hiking down the Samaria Gorge and I had the pleasant experience of finishing the hike in full daylight, a first for me. Everyone was feeling strong and energized, so I got to fall back and take in the scenery, including the rabbits and quails tucked into backyards on the way into Agia Roumeli.  We saw plenty of kri-kri, and made sure not to feed them. 

Another day brought us back to Loutro, one of my favorite places. Conditions were absolutely beautiful for paddling and we made it to the port town of Sfakia for lunch.  In Loutro there are several restaurants lined up along the shore that all serve grilled meats. They have several spits turning at all times, rounds of pork, whole chickens, and goats with the heads still attached. The aroma is mouthwatering and wafts across the water at night. 

We had good weather all the way to Plakias, and then things changed. The wind came up, clouds rolled in, and the second to last morning was blustery indeed. The paddlers experienced just how fast things can build on the Libyan Sea. Everyone arrived at our stop in Palm Beach in one piece, but that was the last paddling of the trip. The sea was a mess of whitecaps with winds howling in from the north and rain squalls blowing through. Our last night in Gallini was punctuated by torrential rain showers and brilliant rainbows, as was the next morning. It was a beautiful way to say goodbye to Crete. 

It's hard to say goodbye to Crete, with its lovely people, amazing scenery, and incredible food. I'll be going back every chance I get. 

Island Life

I'm sitting in the hotel lobby in the tiny town of Loutro, watching the topaz water and listening to the resident parrot meow and whistle. This picturesque little village is inhabited in the summer only and basically serves as accommodations for tourists in on the ferry or by foot along the coastal trail. There's no better place to sit back and ponder great things. 

To get here we started on the south central coast in Matala.  I'm one of two guides for a week long inn-to-inn kayaking trip on the Greek island of Crete. Our seven guests are from both coasts of the U.S. and Canada, and include a doctor, a lawyer, and two psychiatrists (sounds like a bad joke).  It's definitely a working vacation - the food is amazing, the scenery is beautiful, and the days are long. In addition to hiking or kayaking all day, I get to do massage as well. Tonight the table is set up on the roof of the hotel overlooking Loutro. We'll be here tomorrow was well, the continue our way down the coast. 

The first day of the trip we visited the ruins at Knossos. It's a Minoan palace built by King Minos of legend. It would have been nice to see the Minotaur because that would have meant fewer tourists. The site was excavated and then reconstructed according to one man's vision in the late 1800s, with garishly painted frescoes and concrete columns. It gives a hint at its previous splendor. 

The next day, after paddling to two neighboring beaches, we hike the bluff above Matala to watch the sun fall into the sea. The island you can see is Paxamadia, and according to legend it's the place where Daedalus and Icarus were imprisoned by King Minos. It's fascinating how chock-full of mythology Crete is. It's home to the cave where Zeus was born, the Minotaur's labyrinth, and numerous other legendary spots. I still haven't figured out exactly how such spots are determined. 

After leaving Matala we drive to the north coast, then climb up the rocky spine of the island to the head of the Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe. The 10 mile hike turns into something of an ordeal when people aren't prepared to lose 4,000 ft of elevation over rough, rocky terrain. For the second time I ended up guiding people out in the dark. The look on their faces when we reach the seaside village of Agia Roumeli is the definition of relief. 

Now here we are in Loutro, taking a breath and putting our feet up. It's as beautiful as I remember, although there are lots more people wearing hiking boots and carrying packs. There's a national trail that runs along Crete's south coast that seems to be garnering more attention, particularly among Europeans. It has the feeling of a place that's just being discovered and is soon doomed for a ranking in the Lonely Plantet guide book. 

The Layover

I spent most of my 24 hours in Paris getting lost and then finding myself again. First was the journey to my hotel, tucked very much out of the way down an alley in an out of the way part of town. Then I tried to find the largest museum in the world via what seemed like the largest underground mall in the world. Today I had better luck navigating the metropolis, yet still ended up hiking for an hour across the city instead of using the metro. But gelato and pain au chocolate? No problems finding those.

Rue Hechette, near Notre Dame

Exploring the beautiful garden at the Musee Rodin

Celebratory "found my hotel" salad

Summer, Condensed

While it happens every year, it seems that this summer went by particularly fast.  The last snow graced the mountain tops June 28, and the first one whitened them on August 24.  We've had two hard frosts in town and there's a nip in the morning air that feels like fall. 

June 28, fresh snow on the Sphinx

 Even though it may not feel like it, we did fit a bunch into the very short season known as summer.  Carl's family came west for their reunion over the 4th of July and we got to show them all the wonders of living in southwestern Montana.  They quickly came to realize that things are very far apart here.  We marveled at the wildflowers atop the Gravelly Range, experienced the 4th of July festivities in Ennis, and soaked in the Norris Hot Springs.

Wildflowers on top of the Gravelly Range

Carl's dad Ed worked at a fire lookout in the 60s outside of Butte, and we took a field trip to find the trail head.

 The wet and late spring resulted in a really low fire year for Montana while the rest of the West was burning up.  All that smoke did result in some spectacular sunsets.

 We fit in excursions whenever we could - having three dogs is enough to keep anyone busy.

Monkeying around up Papoose Creek

Swimming and paddling at Cliff Lake, one of our favorite places

Oh, yes, and we both have jobs, which are particularly crazy during the summer.  While Carl was kept busy managing folks on the Madison, I was planting, harvesting, and selling pounds and pounds of veggies for restaurants and the farmers market.  

Harvested 80 lbs of golden beets in a day - whew!

One weekend we ditched our responsibilities and took our van out for a spin to White Sulphur Springs, site of the Red Ants Pants Music Festival.  We did indeed dance our pants off to the likes of Corb Lund, Brandi Carlyle, and Jason Isbel.

 Come August I got to be in charge of two high school interns who helped out at the greenhouse and the farmers market.  It was great having extra hands around, and they may have even learned something.

 August means winter is right around the corner, which means firewood.  Lots and lots of firewood.  While Carl was busy felling trees, I was stuffing my face with wild raspberries.

And now that the summer season is over, we got ourselves some new toys - inflatable stand-up paddle boards.  As a last hurrah we pumped them up and took them to Ennis Lake to see how they worked.  We discovered you need a couple extra PSI when you add 100 lbs of wet dog.

Now that fall is closing in, I'm glad the squash plants are all frost-bitten and dying.  The leaves are turning, the geese are flocking, and it's time for a new season.  I leave in two days for my working vacation in Greece, and when I get back it will be time for flannel shirts and boots, warm soup and the wood stove.  Bring it on!

Axolotl Birthday Bash, or Better Late Than NeverM

So Carl had a birthday.  In June.  And apparently I got so busy with things that I completely forgot to actually post all these wonderful pictures.  Highly ironic, given that we are once again seeing snow in the highest elevations.  Enjoy the flashbacks.

Raining out?  No problem - just roast your s'mores in the fire place.

Good morning, Madison Range.

Outdoor bacon grilling

Mojo's first overnight trip

Off for a walk in the sage brush

Thistles, invasive yet visually striking

Columbine

Scotch bells

Awesome mystery fungus

Mmmmmm, dinner

Wet, tired pups at the end of another awesome Axolotl stay