August in Montana
 2026

 Back to Home Page

 

 
   
The first day of the month was EMQS - Eureka Montana Quilt Show.  This was our preparation
day the Wednesday before.  Over 400 quilts, all to be measured, sorted, and tagged.  		 The team, working away.  We finished in record time this year thanks to a great group. 
 
   
Early on show morning, I love seeing the morning sun hitting the quilts.  More of the beauty.  
   
   
   
   
   
 I had over 30 quilts in the show, so I didn't get a photo with all of them. I did, however, give it a fair try!  
   
  Both the one above my head and the baby quilt beside me were mine. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
I bought this one already pieced, I only quilted it.    
   
   
   
I made two quilts from this pattern, this one was donated to Quilts for Heroes.  My friend Edna made this, I can't believe how cute it is.  
   
   
Larry & Lisa worked hard at the show all day!  Here we are greeting Rose along the way.  
What my watch told me about my stress level on show day.  No kidding!!!     My mother sent me these beautiful flowers to congratulate me on surviving another show.  
 
Speaking of beautiful flowers, my flower beds are starting to fill in.  I love it when the lake is glass like that.  So cool. 
   
Thing 1 and Thing 2 are aggressively curious about Buddy.  Buddy makes a barking charge to try to get his bluff in. 
   
 Everyone is scared and happy at the same time while they all flee in different directions.  We came home to a sad sight one evening - a break-in at the garden.  They trashed the place! 
I must have left the lock open because it wasn't broken.  I can't believe they were testing the gate! 
   
Eric, herding them out for me.  We'd parked our car there and next they all brought their long 
horns around the car to lick it and investigate.  I thought they were going to bash it with a horn. 		 We had about one week of smoke this summer, which is about as good as we can hope for!  
   
The next day, the young ones were trying to figure out how to get back into the garden.   The devastation that used to be our raspberry patch. 
   
Licking their lips, thinking about those yummy raspberry leaves. They did great damage to our Honeycrisp apple tree too - broken branches and apples everywhere.
   
 Innocent face saying, "Who me? I didn't wreck your garden, I was just pruning it."   They all follow Buddy & I around like we're the Pied Piper.  
   
 Our entourage.    Next up - Walker Hayes concert at the Kalispell Fair. 
   
He told some great stories, gave a wonderful testimony, and was very entertaining.  And then, Shakespeare in the Park.  It was a comedy this year and very funny.  It was As You Like It. 
   
Next - our fair and The Bull Thing, which is practically a holiday in this town.  Here are the
newlyweds Mark & Nicole with Rose in the Casazza section of the bleachers.  		 Larry & Lisa with long-time family friends the Mashaws.
   
 Ashley & Hunter, who has turned his teeth blue with some random fair treat.   One of Dan's workers and his wife, Dan, Tracie, and Kaitlyn - who came down out of the Bob Marshall 
Wilderness for this event.  We almost never see her from May to December unless we go up there.  
   
Colter, who also works in the Bob, meeting Nicole.  Here he informs her that Mark has
kicked way outside of his coverage, or something along those lines.  		 That day would have been Dan & Rose's anniversary.  Rose just got her wedding rings back from a
repair and was happy to be wearing them that day.  They did a special presentation to honor Dan
during The Bull Thing that night, which was very nice.  
   
I'm not sure how many rodeo arenas have this kind of view, but we sure love it.   I happened to catch this great shot of the bull winning this particular contest.  
   
The next morning after The Bull Thing is The Church Thing, where the whole town does church
together at the fairgrounds.  The worship leader is Ivan's girlfriend.  		 Back at home, Buddy just woke up from a seriously deep sun nap.  
   
Buddy & I found this tiny dried turtle during one of our walks.  Bigfork outing!  With Larry & Lisa for the Bigfork Community Players theater.  
   
 We had a nice dinner at Whistling Andy Distillery, then a lovely walk around downtown Bigfork. They don't allow photography during the show, so here's a view of our great seats for a fun show. 
   
 I got this publicity photo from the paper, it's the cast of the 50's - 80's Hits show.  
 A sad day for Eureka, the Purdy barn, one of our landmark barns collapsed this month.  This is a photo I took of the barn in 2016.
  
 		  
Sometimes when we drive home, FT acts like he wants to play, so Eric gets out to wrestle
with him a bit.  It was easier (and safer) last year when he was a little guy. 		 Jealous girl Sweet Pea sees what's going on and comes running up for her share of the attention.
She prefers to lick you rather than wrestle.  
   

Some scenes from home.  Brodie, age 14,  has grown to 6 foot 6 inches tall this summer.
Two months ago when he visited Montana he was 6 foot 4 inches tall. He's as tall as his daddy now.  

  My mother was accepted into two art shows this summer.  
She won ribbons, honors, and sold items at both.  
   
   
   
 

Back to Top