Red, White, Blue’s in the Sky

Red, white, blue’s in the sky,

summer’s in the air and baby,

heaven’s in your eyes.

Our Fourth of July was magical - to call it any less would be an understatement. We started the day without an alarm clock, sleeping in until the Montana morning chill wore off. With no holiday plans in store, we decided to get in the truck and drive until we found somewhere worthy of spending our afternoon. In Montana, that’s not hard to do. We hit the highway and turned off where the signs said “Warm Springs” and “Lost Creek State Park”. We were looking for waterfalls - and we found heaven instead. The roads were unpaved and ten m.p.h. was the best we could do but as Trevor said to me, “you can’t ever be in a hurry to look at the scenery,” and when you’re headed nowhere, time isn’t an issue. We saw tractors and ranches, cattle and horses, and the greenest areas of Montana, yet. We saw rivers and springs and eventually, in the distance, we saw even more water. With a dirty pit bull in tow, we kept our fingers crossed and after a few turns and gated paths, we made it to the whitetail picnic area at Warms Springs Ponds. Apparently, the rest of Montana was spending the day barbecuing or setting off fireworks in the broad daylight because we were the only ones there (not that I'm complaining). We hiked the lake paths, let Buddy go for a swim, watched the wild Pelicans, and soaked in a perfect sunny Montana afternoon.

Here Comes the Sun

Today found me in a THON tee, leggings and sperrys. Hair in a bun, bangs a mess. Curled up on an upholstered chair in Starbucks with a venti Iced Chai Latte. Rainy days always send me running for the nearest coffee shop.

Last week, found myself and the girls at Nixon Park. We decided to soak up the much-needed sun, breath in the smells of springtime, drive across York in their mom's BMW and walk until we couldn't walk much further. After realizing my memory card was not in my camera, I was devestated. Two beautiful girls, a beautiful park - no camera. So, I take a deep breath. And out comes my iPhone. My photos were stripped of aperture, ISO values, and shutter speed settings but the moment was still there. It could have been worse.

Like when that same day, I managed to leave my camera at Beth's for the next two days. Really.

Maybe it was meant to happen that way... to spend a day without worrying about photos. I ended up taking many less than I would have with my camera working but maybe that had something to do with carrying a sleepy three-year-old for a mile hike back to the car.

Camera or not, we enjoyed the day. 

We sang "The Arts Go Marching".

Retold the story of Hansel and Grettle.

Looked for tadpoles and sunbathing turtles.
And found both.

Ran as fast as our legs could carry us.
Over the river and through the woods.

Had a picnic lunch... with some uninvited visitors.
Then shared our PB&J with the ants, anyway.

Played I Spy.

Found a meadow.

Loved the meadow. 

Turned left and followed a new trail.

Found the perfect bench for a snack.

Tried to figure out why the bench sat so high off the ground that our toes couldn't reach the dirt.

Watched big sisters do their big sister thing.

Put our hands in the water.

And shared the day with Wally - a mantee with a walrus complex.

Now we're sharing it with you. 

Where would I be without an iPhone?