A Day Out

This weekend was the last of it. The last of fall. Sunday night a storm blew in. We all knew it was coming. It's not supposed to let up until Tuesday. 

So Friday, Adventure Man and I took Bunny and the dog for one of the last hikes of the year. (I say "one" because Saturday he took the other three kids up on a hike too. By then Bunny had come down with the flu, so she and I stayed home.) 

Here are some fun shots and views we enjoyed. 

 

I really love it up here. There's a view around every corner! 

I shared my chocolate with her. Funny kid won't eat m&ms but she loves my Dove dark chocolate squares. I have this way of making my kids like fancy stuff! Darn it! 

It's fun going out with Adventure Man because he's such a great Dad! 

Can these two be any cuter!? I mean really! 

It's also fun hanging out with Advinture Man 'cause he likes to take pictures of me. Kind'a makes me feel special! 

I'm planning on sharing this one again, once I've lost my little belly. I know it's not much. I've lost a lot of weight since Bunny was born. But I've got about 10 more pounds to go. Still, for having four kids (and a puppy), I'm feeling pretty good.

Speaking of the puppy, she found an old bone piece and a shady spot. 

We were having fun. It was such a nice day! 

Now on to snow boots and wool caps! 

Happy Winter! 

Autumn Splendor and Some Family Time

We like to walk the Aspen Loop Trail that is right by our house each autumn when the colors have changed.

It's just a short little walk, hardly a hike, but it always takes us forever because we have to take hundreds of pictures. 

I actually only used my iPhone this time, because I had just added some great new camera apps that I wanted to try out. 

Adventure Man used the Nikon and the Olympus, which is the one I usually use. I'll share the new apps later this week.

We found lots of ladybuds and had to catch them and chase them through the wild rose bushes that were covered in red rose hips and thorns. 

The kids loved it. 

We got to see everyone having fun in the fresh air and enjoy the warmth of the day before winter is a permanent fixture in our little Montana valley. 

We got to have some together time without too much griping or arguing. 

We love to take in the view and climb the rocks at the end of the loop. 

One of my favorite blogs is written by Emily at The Anderson Crew Blog. She is the creator of Embrace The Camera and is sharing all week long. As someone who would rather take pictures than be taken in pictures, I have tried to make sure I was embracing the camera more often. So I'm sharing these shots with you today.  Her theme for today is memories. I hope my kids will have happy memories of our seasonal adventures!

Head over to Emily's place to find out more. 

Monsters in the Field

I pass this field quite often, on my way to and from kids sporting events. This time I had to snap a picture.

The oil pumps make me think of monsters sucking from the earth. I wonder what a field mouse would think. 

Gone But Not Forgotten. I hope.

I've been gone. We went to see family.

And we've been having fun. 

It's summer time. What can I say? 

We don't get many warm months up here on the mountain tops of Montana. I gotta enjoy them while I can.

So I hope you don't forget me.

I do most of my writing from my phone. Then the photos are never where I want them, and so I still have to wait to get to the main computer to touch it all up. It just isn't happening.

Will I ever get caught up?

So go enjoy your summer! We sure are!

Every Needful Thing

I love silos. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know. 

I had to stop and take this last month. 

I'm just now sharing. 

Y is for Yarrow

Obviously!

wild yarrow

T is for Toads

I have a soft spot for amphibians. I love catching frogs and toads. I'm sure this dates back to my childhood. No really! If you don't know, read THIS!

And see, I have taught my children well. 

But at least these are alive!

L is for Ladybug

What is it about a ladybug that brings happy summer childhood memories? 

This is a bug that begs to be caught. 

And my kids are expert bug catchers.

D is for Diapers. And Dog.

You already know the dog, now meet the diapers. For the most part, I cloth diaper. This was helpful living so far from town. Only, we have found that the trips to town made lugging soiled dipes around more of a pain. So we do use disposables for long travel. And then we have hard water here and that has messed with the cloth. So we started using sposies at night too. But for the most part…

I'm a Fuzzi Bunz Mama. But I also have a stash of prefolds. I have found that for the price, Econa Buns is great and I wish I had started off with them.

I'm at the point in life where I'm ready to start getting rid of some. I only have one in dipes and the other day I bought her a pack of panties. Yeah, we're talking the talk! Hopefully she'll start walking the walk.

She's growing up so fast! Already two! Where does the time go? Today is also Embrace the Camera, so here is my attempt at getting a shot of her and I. She wasn't really cooperating! 

B is for Big

Big sky country that is!

Making Ready

Just as the farmers are starting to tune up their rigs and get ready to plow. Just as the ranchers are spending countless hours looking after mama cows as they birth their calves. 

The guest ranch is starting to hire summer staff, 

open up cabins that have been closed up for the winter, and make last minute repairs. 

It's that time of year. It's time to start getting ready. 

Cleaning Up

The crew is in the last leg of the construction. 

They are cleaning up. I know they want to be done by tomorrow, Thanksgiving. 

It's been quite the show for the past two months.

Meanwhile… This is what I will be cleaning up all winter long until the grass comes in again.

Keep'n Our Poop in a Pile

That is one of my favorite "funny mom things to say." My mom never said that one, but she has some really good ones. That is something I say, a lot. Every time we go anywhere, I see coats and shoes and what not all over someone else's house, or at church, or the lodge. I start saying, "Keep your poop in a pile, People! Poop in a pile!" The kids know, it means keep your stuff together. So that's what we're doing here at the Ranch. We're get'n the poop and putt'n it in a pile!

As I have mentioned before, this Guest Ranch is 82 years old. We just finished our 82nd season. Not that we have been running it that long. No, the original owners have past away. Their only son didn't want to continue in the business. Before they retired they sold the property to a company who had "keeping it up and running" in their dreams for the land. They bought the property in the 1980's. We now work for that company.

For the most part the property is the same as it was back in the day. Well, since the flood that wiped most of it away, but that was in the 60's and the owners were the ones who dug down in there boots and rebuilt it. Unfortunately, for us, not them, there have been a few building code changes since it was built. That happens to anyone who is running a business in or living in an old building. Or in our case, a lot of old buildings. So we've been making some changes here and there, over time. We've gotten tin roofs on all the buildings. I think it's just the outbuildings left to go. We've got to get rid of the diving board. The pools not big enough for the size of the board. The dinning hall needs a new floor. You know, things like that. But there is this one thing. This one Really big thing. I mean Big. We're talking poop sized!

So the day after the guests left, and the season was officially over, we started the most dreaded of the upgrades. The septic system. Up until next month, each cabin has had it's own septic tank, even ours. But now we will be up to code with a commercial drainage systome. And a centralized well, to boot! Woo hoo!

Even in the snow!

Why do you care? Well, you probably don't. But for us, it means this place is a mess. A loud-crazy-covered-in-construction-road-full-of-wholes mess.

Clearing a place to start the well

That's getting deep

Now every time little Miss Bunny hears the well drilling or the backhoe hit a rock, she leaps into my lap with fear. Poor little mouse!

I know, your life is better knowing this is what we're up to. Your welcome!

Stocking Up

The snow from last week has finally melted in our yard. 

It's been gone down in town for days, but we are higher up and are usually colder. 

Adventure Man has been so good to me. He has brought in some wood!

 He has also made it clear that he doesn't want to fetch firewood in the snow!

That should last us awhile!