July Highlights
July 2019

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We had a jam-packed month this July, which included a bunch of jam!  We had a great 4th of July celebration at the ranch with Dan & Rose and about 50 family and guests.  Naturally, I walked off and left my phone and camera at home, so I didn't get a single picture.  The rest of the month's activities were pretty well covered in photographs though, so I guess I made up for that one slip! 
 
   
Our friends the Peterson/Driggs crew kindly offered us all the cherries we could pick.
We spent a very fun couple of hours picking and chatting and enjoying the beautiful day.
They gave us nearly a whole 5 gallon bucket.  After sharing with several family members,
I still had LOTS left.  Aren't they beautiful? They were so tasty. 
   
I made 4 batches of freezer jam and one batch of cherry compote. One of the many beautiful sunsets I'm blessed to see here.  I just don't always  
get my camera and go outside to capture them.  God sure does amazing work! 
   

The picture doesn't show it, but there was a really nice orange color off to the left. 

  It looks like Rick is just trying to see how far he can get above the roof of Larry & 
Mary Beth's house.  He must be showing off that new people-lifter he bought this year! 
   

A beautiful sunrise.  

 
   

 Two shots of another gorgeous sunset

 
   
Lovely little bird hanging out by the feeder.  No clue what kind! 

 

July 4 was a very cold, rainy day here in NW Montana.  Naturally, 
this was the day Eric selected to do some chainsaw work.  Here he is
in the top of an apple tree, trimming limbs off a Cottonwood that fell on it.

Just to reiterate, it was raining and he is chain sawing while 30 feet in the 
air, standing on a wet tree limb.  I was along on this trip to be the one to call 911. 
   

Another wonderful sunrise.  

  Two eagles in the dead tree near our house. They love that tree. 
   
 A loon taking a morning bath.   Buddy on the "Casazza Gate Bridge", a plank we put across the 
 irrigation ditch in 2013.  It still works, so why mess with perfection.  
   

 

 Eric taking Buddy on his first 4-wheeler ride. 
I think Buddy would have liked it if it hadn't been cold and rainy. 
Buddy doesn't do cold and rainy! 

 
   
Eric may not like me sharing with the world a photo of him sleeping, but this was SO cute.  I put the trail cam up on the sleeping porch one day and turned it on once the sun hit the bed.  
   
This was about the extent of his movement. And he's back down.  He LOVES it out there.  Porch mornings are the only time he's not right beside me. 
   

Poser

   I bought him a new toy (a weekly event in our house), but look how much he appreciates it! 
   
   
   

A walk along the Rails to Trails path just outside of Eureka.  Here there are both rails and trails. 

  A view of the Tobacco River from the trail. 
   

I love how you can watch the weather for miles around here.  Some people are getting 
dumped on with heavy rain, while others get beautiful sunbeams shining down on them.  

 Still working on his posing skills.  I'm trying to teach him to pose for
 pictures, but it's hard to get him to focus when there's so much to smell.
 
  

Trail Cam Highlights

 
 
   
    
   

This has been a very cool summer, but we did get a few days of heat.

  I thought it would be fun to put some of Buddy's toys in a kiddy pool and get him to jump in.
He only retrieved them from the edge and would not enter the pool.  Chicken.  
   

Eric & Mark planted this alfalfa field last month.  They got a great catch, it was beautiful. 

 Our tree-dweller.  She loves to hang out on top of the cabinets and spy on us peons below.    
   
 Muddy Buddy, ready to get into Blackie (Eric's Montana truck.)   A view along our walking path, I never get tired of walking here. 
   

Looking back at our house from across the lake. 

Getting Buddy to pose with the inlet of the lake behind him.  
Try to ignore the ugly weeds between him and the lake.
 
   

When you want to snuggle your new toy, but also want to be in your comfy bed.  

  Blurry shot of a big buck that hangs out along the road from our house.  
   

Another outing with Buddy, this time to the point where the Tobacco River meets
Lake Koocanusa.  

  Buddy is almost camouflaged in these rocks as he frolics in the water.  
   
This looks like friendship, but do not be deceived.  This is one of the many ways that Lily (gray cat)
likes to torment Feisty (black cat.)  If Feisty looks happy, Lily gets far too close and makes herself
at home until Feisty gives up and finds a new spot.  
Buddy, giving me that, "Come hither and rub my belly" look.  
   

I'm always seeking to get a good shot of the Canadian Rockies as seen from our house, 
but they always look blurred in my photos.  

This is actually a photo of 3 of our pets enjoying the morning sun.  Lily in the background, 
Buddy front & center, and the shadow of Feisty.  
 

 

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