One More Thing

Yesterday I forgot to post a video I took of Farmer herding one of the mountain goats along with a panoramic view of our hike down to Hidden Lake.

I should of focused more on the goat because that was pretty funny! He would not get out of way and kept walking in front of us for a good part of our hike.

Enjoy the weekend! I am in Portland, Oregon right now visiting Danielle!

Ohhh Last Sunday!

Last Sunday was quite the trip! We first decided to trek over to East Glacier which is probably around a 2.5 hour drive from Kalispell. Woo weee. We got out and stretched our legs and walked around another beautiful historic lodge built in 1913 for the droves of tourist for Glacier Park. What a beauty and the grounds were amazing.

After our visit with East Glacier we ventured up towards Many Glaciers which was another hour or so. Another historic lodge--Many Glaciers Lodge--sat on the edge of Swiftcurrent Lake, surrounded by snow-tipped mountains. Everybody was outside relaxing in the old patio chairs reading their latest novel or chit chatting with their loved ones. Many Glaciers was definitely the most remote..and surrounded by so many different hiking trails. I can see how someone may want to stay a week there!

Swiftcurrent Lake

Many Glaciers Lodge

Josephine Lake

Later on in the day we made it towards Logan's Pass and started hiking up the trail to Hidden Lake. Logan's Pass is about 6,000 ft above sea level and right there on the continental divide. There is still snow at this point so Farmer and I were slipping and sliding our way to find this hidden lake amongst the peaks and valleys. We hiked a mile and a half to the look out point for hidden lake. Tucked in the high valley of the mountains and covered with snow/ice for about 8 months out of the year..I can see how it got its name.

While taking pictures.. Farmer was trying to figure out the timer for the camera I quietly shouted..Very slowly! Sit up and look behind you!!...

A mama mountain goat and her little one was right behind him staring and sniffing at him. It was a hoot! I was so excited to finally see one of these creatures!

After taking a bajillion pictures of them we decided to hike DOWN to the lake...another mile and a half but this was DOWN a mountain. Not so bad going down..but coming up is what separates the men from the boys..or as Farmer says..the Kitties from the Cats.

We did it! And took some great pictures along the way. After it was all said and done..we hiked about 8 miles that day and boy was I TIRED!!

Hidden Lake

Hidden Lake below us

Nosey Goat

Whistle Pig?

Made it to Hidden Lake

Road Block!

Last Saturday

First thing on Saturday was the Farmer's Market in Kalispell. We purchased some lettuce/local cherries *yummm* and milk.

We then proceeded to Rebecca Farm to watch the Event.

This event was held in Kalispell.. one of two cities in the USA that held trials for the Equestrian World Cup. The 10 other cities will be in Europe..These horses were flown in from the east coast..only the best!

We saw all sorts of action.. a rider fell off the horse and the horse went crazy and was running full speed through the fields heading to the barn..people had to run/dive out of the way.

Then another rider fell off and they had to call in the ambulance..kind of scary but they said she only suffered some bruised ribs.

And then of course the jumping!!

It was so exciting to see.. I have never been to an event and also the jumps were so creative...horses had to jump over over-sized carrots/fish/dinosaurs/etc. Loved it!

Video of one of the contestants hurdling their way through Jurassic Park!

After watching the event...we headed towards downtown and looked at the vintage cars and hot rods show. We had a nice time looking at old motorcycles to model A's. I enjoyed the model A's and the trucks. Makes me want to buy an "A" and also fix up the 20 vintage trucks Farmer has back home.

Later on in the evening Farmer took me out to a nice restaurant in Whitefish---Tupelo's. Then guess where we ended up next...The Great Northern Bar to watch... The Cold Hard Cash Show..again! We didn't stay as long and we didn't really need to sit up close and personal this time but still it was great entertainment. Farmer spotted the old head football coach of the NY Giants there...oooh "celebrity" sighting!!

Last Friday...

Hello...

we are...

Last Friday afternoon when Farmer came home from work we decided to grab some dinner and then go see The Cold Hard Cash Band at the Great Northern Bar in Whitefish. They are a Johnny Cash Tribute band and drove up from Missoula. They even played on David Letterman a couple of years ago.

We grabbed a snack and a drink at the bulldog saloon before heading over to the Great Northern. We were lucky enough to find some good seats right by the band so we could people watch and also see the players. They sounded a lot like Johnny Cash. I was excited because I thought this would be a good band to dance to.. well I guess Montanans do not two step..more like mosh pit-flail arms and such. It was really fun to watch at least. We had a great time. Even met some "local celebrities" which means restaurant and art studio owners.

Thrift Store Finds

Well we had quite the adventurous weekend!!! I love the weekends here because there is always something to do! While I gather my thoughts and reflections over how to put our experience into words and sort through the photos I am going to talk about my thrift store perusing.

I enjoy going to these stores...one of the only things I do not like is they seem to seperate the antiques or vintage stuff from the junk and rack up the price...ahhh that's the fun part is finding the good stuff amongst the junk. I was at a "thrift store" in Whitefish and it was ALLL antiques and the prices were ridiculous!! They have another store in Kalispell and I think they seperate the good from the bad and haul all the good stuff up to Whitefish where all the tourists are and display their goods...while Kalispell has junk. While in the Whitefish "thrift store" I found TWO vintage Texas Tech Pendleton blankets! I was sooo excited..then I saw the price tag. One was for$150.00 and the other $160.00...at a thrift store. I was so angry! In Whitefish, MT..who else will want to buy a Texas Tech blanket except for me??

But anyways, I did find this cute color pencil of a black poodle at the Salvation Army..It's just darling. I don't even like poodles but this is just so funny. He kind of reminds me of a dog we used to have...Pepper..but she was more grungy than this little guy. I have him by my computer so I can look at him whenever I like.

Neat things about Kalispell, MT

I enjoy riding my bike to and fro

NO SALES TAX IN MONTANA!!

There are 3 thrift store in Kalispell that I frequent about once a week (eeeek!)

I can drink hot tea in the summer time

Takes me 5 minutes to hop on my bike and ride over to Lone Pine for a hike

The Flathead Beacon--a Free Weekly Newspaper that lists all sorts of things to do and see.

No Humidity

The grocery store is not 20 minutes away.more like 2 minutes.

pretty scenery and beautiful lakes

neighboring towns are not that far away to visit

Something is always going on ..even though the are pretty similar, there is always a festival every weekend, music, arts, etc.

Surrounded by beautiful old homes. I can get in the car or on foot and walk around and study the architecture

Cherries

Conrad Mansion

Farmer's Market every Saturday in Kalispell.

Microbreweries in many of the small towns around here...like a winery but beer instead.

There is plenty more but that's all that I can think of...

Clever

I read an article about a local schoolteacher that has been painting a fire hydrant in his front yard each season for over 20 years in the east side, historic neighborhood of Kalispell. He stated that the first time he painted it was because it was an ugly orange color....then he began to get creative and started decorating the hydrant for various holidays. What a clever idea!...folks young and old drive by to see what the next design will be. Just think of how many coats of paint the poor hydrant has!

I was walking through the neighborhood taking pictures of homes and wondered if I would come across this funky folk art...and sure enough I did!!

Next door to the hydrant was this cute little home. I like how it is mostly painted white. But what I like even more is the cute little birdhouse that perches next to the home. It is an exact replica of the white abode.

I bet the bird that lives in that house is rich!

All Forward E'erbody...All Forward

So after our picnic with the doe our next adventure was White Water Rafting! I have never been and so I was a little nervous. I just knew I would fall into the roaring rapids.

Acting like full fledged tourists we split into groups of about 8 and hopped into a raft guided by Shay. He definitely liked to use the "All Forward ---All Forward" a lot. We pretty much got the hang of the commands and paddled our way down the Middle Fork of Flathead River that defines the edge of Glacier Park. We hit some rapids but they weren't as roaring as I thought they would be but definitely fun-filled. One rapid splashed me right in the face and farmer saw the whole thing. He thought it was funny..so did I. Good times. Now we didn't have a camera with us...we wouldn't have had time to take pictures anyhow. But they did have someone take our picture while going through the "BONECRUSHERRRRRR." We had a loved one come up and visit us and he was able to take the trip with us down the river.

Picnic

So where was I...

So while we had some downtime from one adventure to another we decided to go have a picnic in Glacier Park on the shore of McDonald Lake. We parked at the amphitheatre and already knew we would enjoy ourselves because nobody else was around.

I had thrown some food in a bag and made a hob knob type of lunch for the two of us. We ravaged through the meal like starved kitties. All the horseback riding had made us hungry! We then skipped rocks on the water and laid out in the sun like happy turtles chit chatting while throwing pebbles at one another. I then raised up and to my left was a deer drinking water. She was probably about 30 feet away. I whispered to farmer..."Get up! Very slowly and quietly." He was like what?? And shot up to take a look..oh goodness!

But what was funny, the deer didn't even mind us. She just sipped her water and then came over to a small tree next to us and started munching on the leaves. We just sat there in shock! She was not worried one bit.

We thought that was cool..well then she meanders towards us, stops right in front of us and takes another drink of water...hangs out for a bit and then meanders around to my right side and chews on a couple more leaves and then heads up into the brush. We were able to talk while she was doing all of this.. One of the coolest things that has happened to me in a long time. I asked Farmer if he had the camera... Of course not!! Aww dang.

He goes back to the car to get some slip on shoes and the camera. He follows her into the trees and takes a couple of pictures.

Giddy Up

Farmer went out of his way to book a fun-filled Saturday for the two of us. I will talk about what we did in different posts to keep ya'll coming back for more. Ha!

Saturday Morning we got up early enough to make it to West Glacier by 9:30. We were booked to go horseback riding in the mountains and pine trees. I rode a dark brown, almost black, horse named Morgan while Farmer rode Trigger-look-a-like Sunny (or Sunshine). It was a nice relaxing ride except for when the horses spooked and the trail leader got a little scared...we had to turn back around and go a different direction. We rode with another family so it was a small group. I had the urge to do a little galloping or some Hi-Ho Silver action..but couldn't really do that on this trip. Overall we had a very nice ride. It was about 2 hours long and we saw some beautiful sights. After our ride, we had a couple of hours to spare for lunchtime so we ventured over to the amphitheatre in Glacier Park ....which I will talk about tomorrow!

Chupacabra??

Whilst sitting at my computer all the way up here in Montana...I see a post on MSN.com and also on Yahoo about the sighting of a possible chupacabra in Hood County...Texas. Yep, Granbury is at it again..Famous for John Wilkes Booth, Jesse James, and now a Chupacabra. Chupacabra translates "goat sucker" and is very popular amongst the Mexican folk tales. I believe this animal/beast is a cross between a coyote and a dog. It has mange and lots of parasites to make him look so mystical. I also believe Coyotes kill goats (remember..that's why you have to have a donkey or a sheep dog to keep them safe while out in the pasture). So technically, coyotes could be a "goat sucker." Either way, let Granbury have it's 15 minutes of fame.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Jewel

Most of ya'll know how much of a die-hard fan I was of Jewel's...and then she moves to Stephenville! wahahah... that was so fun for me as a kid. I found this online and thought it was pretty clever and fun for everyone involved.

Undercover Karaoke with Jewel from Jewel

Lost in Lone Pine Park

Yesterday I took a hike in Lone Pine State Park. It is only a few minutes from the casita. It was a nice, cool, and breezy day to take a hike. Farmer had taken me to Lone Pine once before but I suppose I didn't pay close enough attention to the trails.

I wanted to take a different trail and get to know the park a little bit more. I started from the top of the park and made my way down..then up..then down...then up..and down...I was getting all turned around! I was taking these smaller trails and was wondering if I would ever make it back to the top. After 2 hours of hiking I eventually did..now I know the park real well!!!

Farmer took this picture from his spot on the cliff..

...the box with the arrow is where our casita is.

Conrad Mansion Part Duex

This past Saturday was most definitely fun-filled. We first attended the Farmer's Market which is probably 5 blocks away. We purchased lettuce, basil (to plant), fresh tomatoes, and "From Moo to You" Milk---Kalispell Creamery. It is delicious local milk.

Before heading out to Glacier Park we stopped by the Conrad Mansion to take the tour of the house--3 stories!

Designed by Kirtland Cutter a prominent architect in the Pacific Northwest--most buildings are in Spokane but you can find a couple (that still survive) dit dotted around the California, Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

This home was built in 1895 for Charles Conrad--founder of Kalispell and entrepreneur. Charles only lived in the house until 1902 when he died of a diabetes. The family continued to live there and the youngest daughter who raised her children in the mansion donated the home in 1974 to the city. After some renovation the mansion opened to the public in 1976 and has been a museum ever since.

The family saved everything--from receipts to the best handcrafted furniture in the NW. Because of the receipts, the docent was able to tell us how much money the Conrads paid for each piece of furniture.

They even had the original draperies, clothes, dishes, toys, you name it! It reminded me a bit like Farmer's family's farm---just on a different scale.

A couple of my favorite design aspects of the home:

• The arch underneath the stairs that provided seating. This is where the band played when the family entertained.
• The bottle-ends windows (you'll see).
• A wooden keg that acts as a pass through from butler pantry to dining room.
• The sun room/planetarium with rock walls to display the plants
• The Kitchen is original...every bit of it. Love the simple design and the appliances.
• The vintage telecom. Definitely ahead of their time.
• Fire hoses on each floor in case of a fire.
• Freight elevator that still works! Basement to 3rd floor.
• Balcony overlooking the stairway
• Closets---very rare to see in 1895. They did not waste any space!
• The 3rd floor is a great space. I can see them being very casual up there not having to worry too much about messing anything up. It had a playroom, sewing room, and casual parlor for Charles. It also had a laundry room where the servants did their washing and drying.
• They had drying racks that rolled out from a closet that was heated by a furnace to dry the clothes.
• And my FAVORITE:::::: Kirtland Cutter designed two little hidden compartments underneath the stairs that blended in with the trim which acted as a little mailbox for the children to leave notes and trinkets for their grandmas. Then there was another "mailbox" for the grandmothers to leave responses or treats. I would love to incorporate something like that in a home!

Conrad Mansion

Blue Ceiling!

The arch underneath the stairs

Parlor and also acted as a space to dance

The bottle window

Looks like a keg..but really the front of the keg opens so you can

pass food from the butler's pantry!

Soapstone sink

Same hat as in the picture

Laundry sinks

3rd floor fun

Glacier National Park

The farmer and I visited Glacier Park this weekend and boy was it amazing. Words nor pictures do the justice but that's all I can provide to describe a part of this wondrous world. Makes a person pretty patriotic. Glacier Park turned 100 this year and just think of what it was like in 1910..many more glaciers and a lot more remote and rugged.

Each time we saw some snow on a mountain..we kept wondering..Is that a glacier? We stopped to take some pictures and a couple asked if I could take a picture of them so I obliged. I asked what they wanted in the background and he said, "As much as the glacier as possible." "Okay!" Click.

I handed back their camera and Farmer comes up to me and whispers...So is that a glacier?? I was wondering the same thing!! Take more pictures of that glacier! (or is it??)

We took a scenic route: Going-To-The-Sun-Road...even the name itself is AWESOME. We had a good time winding around the contours of the mountains---hugging the rocks that jut out onto the road wanting to make a nice, memorable scratch on your car. At times the edge of the cliff was your neighbor..Don't look DOWN! Weeping Walls of water come crashing down on your car (make sure your sunroof is closed). It was like your very own natural amusement park. So much better than a roller coaster or water slide. On our adventure we spotted deer (no bears or mountain goats dang it), mountians (of course), valleys, little ground squirrels, crazy drivers, manly mini-van drivers, waterfalls galore, and the best kind of snow---snow that is in 70 degree weather! It sure is fun to see snow in July.

We bought a National and Federal Park Pass that is good for 12 months. We'll be able to go to Glacier Park so many times that we'll be very happy to be your tour guide. If you get a chance, please come up here and visit, we would love to show you around!

The Water was.....FREEEEEEZING!! Think: This is Glacier Runoff!

10 seconds to take this picture was too long.

Snyder Creek

See the red Jammer...they are 1930s convertible "busses" that have been fully restored that show visitors the sights around Glacier Park!

awwwwww

grrrrr