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!