MEET LUNA

We went to the breeder again to take a look at the pups
and try to make a #1 and #2 choice. Well, this one came
bounding out to meet us, tail up, and as much as told us she was coming home with us. It was like SHE chose us.
So, when we leave in a couple of weeks we'll pick her up on our way down the road. Too many strange dogs here at the park to bring a puppy around. (parvo is a big danger to pups at this age).

AFTERNOON TRIP TO LOGAN PASS

We had a warm, sunny afternoon and decided to visit Logan Pass. This is the transit center,
opened 4 yrs ago. It provides shuttles leaving about every
20 minutes to take people to different areas of the park.
Because of the limited parking at the pass/visitor center, plus the narrow road leading up to it, we opted to take the shuttle. It took 1hr 45 min to get to the top....which it would have taken us anyway, had we driven ourselves.
We were told there are star parties at the pass, which made our eyes light up. What a view that would be! On second thought, it didn't start til 9pm, and we would have to drive ourselves up and back in the dark. Maybe someday they'll have night shuttles. We hope!!

A couple of views from the boardwalk that meanders up the trail to Hidden Lake.

Even the panorama function on my camera can't
do justice to the beauty up here.

Head in bushes...no good. Turning to leave.....no good. Posing for everyone who was standing there trying to get a picture....priceless!

Logan Pass

JEWEL BASIN

Misery? Depends on how your feet are feeling.
This ranger station and trailhead is called
Camp Misery, and is the beginning of several
trails that connect 27 lakes in Jewel Basin. This designated hiker only area covers 15,349 acres and has 50 miles of trails. There are remote campsites at a few selected lakes, and horses and motor vehicles are prohibited. It is aptly named, as it is truly a jewel in the Rockies.
Locals say Camp Misery was named for a place that an indian tribe spent a terrible winter.
Not hard to imagine, as the snow levels here are measured in feet, not inches.

I spent about 15 minutes taking multiple pictures of this Pine Grouse on the trail. It was very unafraid, and posed in many ways. Amber told us later that they are rather curious, and this one might have been trying to draw us away from her babies who may have been hidden nearby. It's a good thing, cause I am still trying to master this camera, and I must have taken 10 shots. lol

If we look to the left, we have a view of the Flathead Valley. Look up, and the wildflowers are still blooming like crazy!

August 16, and we still came across big patches of snow across the trail.

We reach Twin Lake

Time to relax after lunch.

I got this butterfly to sit still for a moment.

WE'RE GETTING ONE OF THESE!!!

Ok, we finally decided to get off the fence about
making the plunge into dog ownership again. Up here at the park in Montana, we have seen so many dogs come to enjoy the beach. One, in particular, is owned by a fellow named Jim.
He brings Bella down almost every evening for
a swim, and we got to know him AND his dog. she is 2 yrs old, talks to you with her eyes, and is generally the light of Jim's life.
He gave us the name of her breeder, and we have a puppy of unknown choice reserved!
Pictured here is the puppies' mother, Gracie.
We will pick up our new "kid" sometime around mid-September. Can't wait!

This is the stuffed lamb puppy nanny. Linda,
the breeder, puts it in with the pups when she
wants to give mom a break. It was so cute to
watch them cuddle with this thing.

We got to visit our prospective pup....8 in the litter altogether, 3 females, 5 males. We are going for a female. There is one person ahead of us, so that gives us second choice of the litter. We spent more time than we thought we would, a couple of hours...but they're so cute!

I can't decide which one we should choose! In a couple of weeks, we'll come back to see what their little
personalities are like.

GETAWAY AT BIG CREEK CAMPGROUND

Located only about 17 miles north of Columbia Falls,
Big Creek has campsites that are located right
on the north fork of the Flathead River. We
spent a couple of days away from the busy-ness of
the park, no worries about out of staters not
paying, dogs on the swim beach, etc.

Darrell gives our campground a thumbs up. Canada Geese take a break on the river.

3 amigos....we met our campground hosts, and they own these 3 Golden Retrievers....they look so red and big to me, I thought they were Irish Setters. They were so friendly, and they each had their own personal camp chair.

The North fork of the Flathead River meanders along the valley between our road and GNP.

First stop of the day is Polebridge. The bakery is to die for...things like homemade jalapeno cheddar bread, mocha white chocolate cookies, hot chicken and cheddar cheese baked into homemade bread. I'm getting hungry!

We decided to do a little exploring on the back roads. We wanted to see what the road was like heading over to Upper Whitefish Lake.

Red Meadow Lake is a pretty little lake, set in the beautiful scenery of the Rockies. I must say, there were tons of flies and mosquitoes. We met a fisherman there and he showed us a book describing a lot of lakes in Northwest Montana. When we looked at a picture of the author on the back, it turned out to be him! Well, he also had a supply of books in the back of his truck, and we had to have the one that describes lakes in Jewel Basin, one of our favorite hiking places. We meet the most interesting people up here!

We finished our day with dinner at Northern Lights Cafe, located right next to the merc. Food was great!

AROUND THE HOUSE

We have rounded the bend, and are headed for the home stretch! Darrell is replacing Amber's laundry tub faucet. No leaks, yay!

Amber has put in a couple of raised beds, and this year she is trying out a potato tower. As the plants grow, you add more soil and another slat all around. When you're ready to harvest, you can just remove the bottom panels, pick a potato, and let them keep growing.

COWBOY CONCERT IN THE ROCKIES

This is Gentry River Ranch, a Montana guest ranch just outside Columbia Falls, with cabins on the Flathead River, a main lodge, and lots of activities.
Last February, when Darrell & I went to the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Sierra Vista, AZ, we found a new favorite entertainer. Dave Stamey is a singer/songwriter, comedian, and cowboy. His music is written to tell the story of the west from the southern border to northwest Montana, and places in between. When I got to looking at his website to see if he was playing anywhere nearby, I discovered that he was coming to Columbia Falls, only minutes from our hosting site in Whitefish.
We would have paid the $20 per person just to see him, but included in the price were great food, beer and wine.
One of the highlights of our summer, we hope he's coming back next year.

We explored a little inside the main lodge while we waited for the concert to begin.

If you look carefully, you can see a double rainbow framing the entrance to Glacier National Park. Doesn't get prettier than this.

A passing thunderstorm didn't phase Dave...the show must go on!

EVENTS AT LES MASON

This was one of our first events of the year; a wedding rehearsal dinner. About 50 people attended, and they seemed to have a great time. Famous Dave's catered the event, and the weather was beautiful.