mission mountains – ronan, MT

of all the mountain ranges i pass repeatedly here in montana, the missions are the ones that stick out the most.  every time i see them i think for a moment of what it must be like for visitors here to see them for the first time.  they appear after you crest a long hill on highway 93 like a slap in the face- you know, one that mellows you out after a bout of hysteria.

to anyone taking this route to kalispell, i highly recommend taking MT-35 through bigfork.  the drive along flathead lake is unbeatable.

now this moment – a meditation

sometime ago i read the phrase, “dwelling quietly in the present moment”.  i’m sure it was in a book about buddhism, although it can apply to anyone in their own lives.  it is rare that we take enough time to be present; we are always thinking ahead or worrying about the past.

the meditation i have been doing recently is one i call “now this moment”.  when i have time to myself (because it does cause me to focus my mind, and so it’s not fair to do it when someone is trying to talk to me and so on) i sit and say to myself, “notice this moment.  now this moment.  now this moment.”  i space them apart by a few seconds and with each repetition i try to take absolute firm notice of the details of that particular moment.  i notice the tiniest things.  a cloud that looks like a seahorse.  a rust patch on someone’s bumper.  an osprey perched in the trees.  it’s lovely.  and it really helps me to calm my mind, especially when i find myself thinking way too much about the past or future- as is wont to happen all the damn time.

as you think about that-

here are some moments.

here’s my home.

who loves dog parks?

who loves dog parks?

the weather today was SO beautiful that i busted through my house cleaning and stuck the dogs in the car for a trip to the park.  eighty degrees, clear blue sky, happy dogs, and i found a free ice cream coupon in my wallet- i was set.  all it cost was the price of the gas to get there.  what a groovy day it’s been.  the whitefish dog park is really well maintained, and our dogs love going there.

summer

i love summer.  i have always loved summer.  it is a time of freshness, of breezes that kiss rather than bite, of the warm evergreen scent rolling down the hills.  growing up in montana i learned that summer was a precious time of year.  it is june, we just had a brilliant warm solstice, and it’s been overcast and cloudy.  but today i got the itch to be out with my fingers in the dirt.  so i went to where the old garden used to be and dug a compost patch.  our old one was never properly supervised and was never turned or anything, so it is mushy with grass growing all over it.  i want a compost patch now that i’m eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.  i hate wasting anything, and composting is so rewarding.

i also planted things.

i am just so interested these days in how things grow, how they live and create and expand cellularly.  i found an old dried sunflower head and planted the seeds in the red pot.  the blue pot got basil/marjoram/fennel/dill mix.  and an old yogurt container has a dandelion, that i am going to grow in my windowsill.  dandelions are so unfortunately typecast in the weed category.  the roots make an excellent flour, the leaves are full of vitamins and nutrients, and the flowers are delicious when fried or made into syrup or wine.  i dug in the dirt, breathed in the wet musty smell.  it is a beautiful june day in montana.  the poppies are still blooming and the bees are busy in them.

and the world is in bloom today.

for the first time in over a year, i felt wholly infused with happiness today.  everything has been beautiful and i am at peace.