Lavender petals

I am blessed to have several Lilac trees in my backyard. Below the Lilacs, we have a run for our chickens, so the Lilacs not only provide shade for them in the summer, but also attract all sorts of insects for them to eat. I like the fragrance they provide, and the opportunity for photographs. :)

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Mt Vaught

Again, I am not sure if I am getting the name of this mountain correct, but I believe it is Mt Vaught and we were on our way down from the summit (the continental divide) on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Stunning views. Really, the photos do it no justice whatsoever. We had some problems with our van on the way up...serious problems which I cannot recall at the moment, but for a time it appeared we would be stuck on the side of the road. Luckily we managed to get the van going again and decided that heading back to camp might be a prudent idea!

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Upper McDonald Falls

I showed a photo of Lower McDonald Falls a few posts ago and now here is a look at the upper portion of the falls. We didn't hike to the upper falls...with 4 kids in tow, a mountain hike was not on our agenda...especially after our rain drenched hike back from Avalanche Lake the day before! So I settled for this long distance photo instead. If we ever go back to Glacier, this hike is on my list of 'must-do' hikes.

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Mt Brown

I believe this is Mt Brown, inside Glacier, but can't be sure. It was a gorgeous day when we stopped for this photo and I took this just before we decided to take the trail to Avalanche Lake where we got poured on!

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Flathead Lake

Just to the south-west of Glacier lies the enormous Flathead Lake. It is stunningly beautiful...and did I mention enormous? It is 30 miles long, 15 miles wide, a whopping 300 feet deep, and has a 160 mile shoreline. From it's southern point, it is rolling hills and scrub, and at it's northern point lies Glacier. If and when we ever retire, I am thinking this area will be a likely candidate!

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Hungry Horse Dam and River

The Hungry Horse Dam sits right outside the boundaries of Glacier National Park. I have stood on top of several dams before...Hoover at the Nevada/Arizona border, and Dworshak right here in Idaho and about 40 minutes from Moscow. Both are among the highest dams in the USA (2nd and 3rd respectively), but for some reason this one stays in my memory. I think the fact that I was terrified for some reason the entire time we were there, that my young son would somehow fall over the edge. Go figure. Still, the view is impressive!

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Sperry Glacier

We took the trail along Avalanche Creek up to Avalanche Lake and the Sperry Glacier. It is a beautiful hike with this scene to reward you at the end. Remember how I said it rained every day? Well when we started the hike it was 90 degrees...by the time we had reached the lake, the temps had dropped 20 degrees and it had begun to rain lightly. We stayed maybe 15 minutes in the drizzle before we decided perhaps we should start back. We made it to the tree canopy before the rain began to pour. For a time we ran, but after 5 minutes, we decided that we might as well make the most of it and dance in the rain. I danced in the rain with my hubby during this torrential downpour on a muddy trail that just got deeper with mud as the rain continued. It was great! We missed a moose crossing the trail ahead of us by about 1 minute...I did manage to get the tail end of him/her on the video camera, but only for a few seconds. I don't have the best track record with photographing moose! haha

By the end, we were soaked clear through. The kids were waiting for us at the trailhead and wouldn't you know it, the sun came out, it was hot again, and we were dry before we got back to camp. This area of Montana has THE weirdest weather, no doubt!

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Lower McDonald Falls

Lower McDonald Falls is beautiful and sits just off Going-to-the-Sun Road. The water is unbelievably cold and you can actually smell it, perhaps the plant life in the water? The sound of the water rushing over the rocks is also intense. I can't even describe how much I loved just standing here and listening. The kids had to yell to be heard over the sound of the water...and that's saying something cause my kids are LOUD!! haha

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Longfellow Peak

Maybe it's just me, but Longfellow Peak looks very cold and uninviting, and oh so beautiful at the same time. We visited in July, and I can tell you that the days were hot and the nights were downright chilly...and of course rainy! The night before I took this photo, it had snowed and you can see the evidence on the hills below the peak...yet the temps that day were well into the 90's! Amazing.

Road Trip! Glacier National Park - Mountains

In 2002 we took a family trip to Glacier National Park in northern Montana. Absolutely stunning area and if you get a chance to visit, you won't be disappointed. Our trip was for our 13th anniversary...and it rained EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. We have always been tent campers, and this was the trip that our tent decided to start leaking! One morning we woke up and everything in the tent was floating...including us on our air mattress. Nice.

Still, it was the greatest trip and we had so much fun! I don't know which peak this was...I wasn't too good back then about labeling photos...but I took it as we drove along Going-to-the-Sun Road which is an apt name for the narrow winding blacktop that is carved out of the mountains and crosses the Continental Divide.

African Sun Star

Happy New Year! I thought I would start off 2009 with one of my favorite photos, this one of my African Sun Star also called the Star of Bethlehem or Ornithogalum. These beautiful and delicate blossoms are also very tiny and the plant only blooms for a month or so before dying back and gathering it's strength for the next seasons blooming. Still, when it does finally bloom, it is gorgeous and makes the wait worth while!

May your 2009 be full of beauty. :)