Sunday Drive on a Thursday

I realized today that I hadn't been up to Glacier for a while, so I went for a little drive.  It was fantastic.  I love the drive up the mountain to the park.  It's always peaceful, especially on sunny days like today.  I got really excited when I saw the snow on the mountains.  Winter happens quickly up there.  

I took some pictures, and I compared them to the ones of the same part of the park from a month ago.  The differences a month can make in a landscape are astounding.  

The leaves were just beginning to change in September, and the mountains were just bare rock.

Now the mountain has snow, and the leaves are all yellow or on the ground.  

I love sunny days off.

I get to look at things like this whenever I want, just because I can.  So pretty.

-Erika

Winter Happened Over Night

So I've been kind of MIA for a while, and I apologize.

Winter happened since I posted last, and I pretty much just stay curled up in a blanket when I'm not working.  I refuse to turn on the heat in October.  Absolutely refuse.  I did get new-to-me skis last week, and I am getting really excited for the snow to fall.  Snow is already covering the taller mountains out here, but it will be a while before the resorts open to skiers.  I could climb to the top and ski down anyway, but there are no lifts running yet.  Pity.

I have a couple of projects going on that I'm trying to do at the same time.  We'll see how well that works.  I won't tell you what I'm doing yet, but I promise to let everyone know when I finish them.  In the meantime, I posted some pictures from the summer.

I think this is my favorite picture I've taken out here so far.  It's so stark and beautiful that I can't help sharing it with you.  Also, I never got my pony when I was a child.  I'm still upset about it.  I may need a therapist.

This is from my epic hike on the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park.  Indian Paintbrush is everywhere.  The pink is such a wonderful contrast against the grass and rock up here.  I really love living here.  Everyone should visit at some point in their lives.

This dog is weird.  Her name is Xena, and she has an underbite.  I tried a new effect with this picture, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I'll have to try it on more pictures before I can be sure.  Do you like it?

This is the original, fresh out of the camera picture with no correction at all.  What do you think?

Also, shortly after I took this picture, Xena was covered in green and purple spots, courtesy of colored bubbles.  Fun, colorful, non-toxic, colored bubbles.  Strangest toy ever.  I'm pretty sure the bubbles stain clothes.  Xena came clean, though, so I can't be sure.  

Is everyone else as impatient for winter as I am?  I'm freezing, but I still can't wait for snow.  I'm sure I'll regret that statement in May when it is still freezing and snowing and gross, but I just don't care right now.  If it's going to be cold, there should be snow on the ground.  

Ok, I'm done ranting.  Come visit me, people!  I miss all of you.  Really.

-Erika

In Absentia

All right, folks.  Sorry things have been slow recently.  I'm trying to get motivated to blog again, but it has been really hard lately.  There are so many other things I want to do, but I still want to blog.  Trying to fit everything in, plus work, is hard.  This is gonna be a wordy post about things that have been happening around me.  Forgive the ADD.

Summer is gone.  It snowed in the mountains today.  Snow.  I found some pictures of the first tracks on Snowbird in Colorado.  Of course, I can't remember where I found them, but I started drooling.  At work.  I want to go skiing soooooo badly.  I can't even focus on fall colors yet, skiing has taken up so much of my focus.  This will be a winter of epic powder opportunities, and I will not miss it.  

I'm making a separate site for my pictures, but it is nowhere near completion.  I'm still testing the customization of everything, and I'm trying to organize my pictures into galleries.  Getting organized is hard enough when I'm procrastinating like usual, but when there are so many fun things to do around Kalispell I just can't concentrate.  I'll do better, since summer is GONE NOW.  I'm only slightly missing it.  Slightly.

I still go up to Glacier or south to Flathead Lake whenever I can.  I even went for a short hike yesterday afternoon along one side of Lake MacDonald in Glacier.  Short as in a half mile.  Wouldn't want to wear myself out, now, would I?  Ha.  I have a massive library of pictures saved up for future blogs, but I don't think I'll post as many as I have been.  I'll let you know as I determine what is going on.

I went to a Sports Bar (capitalized because I will call this bar Sports Bar from now on.  I liked it that much.) to watch the Packers/Panthers game on Sunday.  Yes, Minnesotans, I went to a BAR on a SUNDAY.  BEFORE NOON.  Because I'm in a different time zone, I had to figure out what the hell time games are on here, and I don't like it.  Eleven is too early for football, so I had a beer and a burger for breakfast.  So since the Flathead Valley is so gorgeous, there are a lot of people here from elsewhere, like me.  There are so many Packers fans in Whitefish, where Sports Bar is, that we take up the whole back room.  And they projected our game on the giant screen.  Because we're awesome.  Anyway, I made friends!  This is a strange situation for me, since I don't talk to people.  Everyone knows everyone, so I stuck out in the crowd (also strange for me.  It's a week of firsts, peeps.) enough for the locals to ask who I was and what I was doing in Whitefish.  Rainy football Sunday led to my discovery of a micro-community in which I so clearly belong.  Also, Sports Bar serves their liquid refreshments in mason jars. Love it.

I live in the mountains.  This guy is just one of many reasons:

He's (she? I didn't check) a marmot, and they are everywhere in Glacier.  I want one.  

Everyone needs to come visit me, if only to realize that I am not crazy and that the valley is a wonderful place to live.  I love it out here.

-Erika

Back to Winter

It's snowing today.  This is not good.  The weekend was beautiful.  It was sunny, somewhat warm, and it didn't rain.  My mom and I terrorized our dogs, too.  They did not enjoy it at all.  

Sniper didn't know what was going on or how to walk while wearing a shirt.  She needs some shoulders if she ever wants to wear a polo again.

Penny was somewhat distraught.  She kept trying to bite me as I was putting the shirt on her.  It's kind of adorable that she fits into an extra-large men's polo.  She looks good in blue.

After we dressed up the dogs, we went to the new house to move stuff around and make dinner.  

This little robin was not afraid of the dogs.  At all.  I was amazed there were even birds in the yard once the dogs jumped out of the car.

Or the birds aren't afraid of the dogs because this is all they do.  They'll chew on a stick if it is already close to their mouths.  I'm not sure they're real dogs.

That was over the weekend, though, and weather in Minnesota changes without warning.  It's thirty degrees and snowing today.  Wonderful snow.

Seriously?  I moved furniture in this crap.

At least it's somewhat pretty until it melts.  If only it weren't April 19th.  This is unacceptable.

In other news, my grandmother is adorable.  My mom and I were talking about my cousin's upcoming confirmation, complaining about the 8am service, when grandma chimes in with, "Is that the one where they go in the pool?"  Nope, that's a baptism, grandma, but thanks for your insight.

My grandma, the theologian.

Refusing to shovel,

-Erika

Signs of Spring

Well, it's too soon to be sure the snow is done for the season, but there are some definite signs of Spring hanging around.  Most of the snow is melted, leaving everything muddy or swampy.  My dogs love to share the mud with my jeans.  I think mud-brown is in this season, as far as accessories go.  

I decided to take a walk with the pups, but I couldn't find Sniper.  I'm sure she was up in the neighbor's shed.  Penny was being helpful while I looked for the little one.  After about 30 seconds of looking for Sniper, Penny needed a break.

Standing up is hard work, I guess.  

I wanted to see if I could get out of the yard without the dogs noticing, so I climbed over the fence and went up on the deck.  They objected to this maltreatment.  Loudly.  Seriously, Sniper barked and whined and tried to jump over the fence.  When this failed, she tried to crawl under the fence.  This also failed, since we anticipated her escapism and built the fence close to the ground.

Sorry, pup.  I didn't want to open the gate.  I can't reach the latch on the outside.  Also, you're cute when you're needy.

Ok, so Penny didn't exactly object to being alone in the yard with that annoying dog.  She just looked confused, which is her usual state.  She's either confused or asleep.

After I messed with the pups I realized that Spring is actually trying fiercely to break out into the world.  There are actual green plants!

I like the pine trees we have.  They're great opportunities for pictures.  They're kinda bare right now, but they're still amazing.

The other trees in the yard are starkly beautiful.  I'm going to climb this tree tomorrow morning, I think.  Sometimes the absence of leaves is just as wonderful as a tree full of 'em.

I don't know what this tree is, but it has pretty red berries.  It's the only tree with any real color on it right now, too.

My mom sent me downstairs to put away some construction thing in the cellar.  It will eventually be a wine cellar, but it's full of paint cans, tools, and other construction-type things that I have no idea what they are or do. 

This is the only hint to the cellar's real purpose, and it's empty.  Empty is the usual state of bottles of wine in our house.  

Winter has been too long, yo.

-Erika

Swamp Thing

Here's a quick update on the flooding.  

The soccer field is no longer a part of the river, but there is still standing water on it.  

The little island is visible now.  Yesterday only the trees were above water.  The bike path is visible now, too, but the river is right at its edge.  

Other than the river, my day has been full of canines and coffee.  I'm slowly acclimating myself to dark roast coffee instead of super sugary things that make me twitch, like lattes.  Enough about coffee, though.  I like puppies more.

This dog is hilarious.  Trixie can't sit still.  I had to bribe her with a stick to make her stay in one spot long enough to take a non-blurry picture of her.  I have a lot of pictures of her tail and the back of her head.  I think she has something wrong with her jowls, too.  

After my encounter with Trixie I went to my mom's to let the dogs out.  Her backyard is a swamp.

This is actually her yard.  It's covered in leaves, water, mud, snow, ice, and who knows what else.  It's kinda smelly, and I can't wait for the ducks to move in.  Yes, I let the dogs run around in this mess and then let them back in the house.  Sometimes I'm a horrible daughter.  I'll make it up to her sometime in April.

Penny actually had some energy today.  I got the dogs riled up so they would actually go outside instead of looking at me with a "you've got to be kidding me" look.  The only way to get them to go outside is to mention squirrels or rabbits.  I forgot that this usually leads to the dogs staring at the tree for like 10 minutes before they figure out that there are no squirrels and rabbits can't climb trees.  

Sniper thinks she can climb trees though.  I think she could if the tree wasn't so huge.  She's ridiculous.  

I got cold watching them, so I told them to get back inside.  Usually they jump up on the couch to take a nap. Not today.  Today they decided to be UFC fighters.  

Both of them started it, too.  Usually it's Sniper biting Penny's feet until Penny decides to put the hurt on her.

They're having fun, and I had nothing to do with this.  I did have to curl up in my chair so they wouldn't knock me over, though.

They still ran in to the chair.  No collateral damage occurred, but I do have fur all over me now.

After they settled down, Penny couldn't get close enough to me.  However, she still wouldn't look at me.  She's clearly judging me for making weird noises to get her to turn around.  Whatever, dog.  

Oh, wait.

She is looking at me.  Except I was petting her.  That's when she loves me.  The rest of the time she is aloof.  And I shouldn't take pictures with my left hand.  It doesn't work well.  

This one is a little better.  I love this dog.

This one, too, if she weren't looking at me like I'm dinner.  Yes, this is a half a second before she pounced on me.  She also doesn't sit still at all.  

Happy Soggy Spring!

-Erika

Water Water Everywhere!

It is March 23rd.  It has been raining for four days, and the rain turned to snow early this morning.  Fantastic.  This is unacceptable.  I planned on moving some things from my mom's house to her new house, because I'm a good daughter or something.  I wasn't sure if I should (ok, wanted to) move stuff in the slush.  I'm a klutz and would probably fall down and drop everything several times, but I did it anyway.

This is the view from my car.  Snow, slush, and my windshield wipers were a slightly stuck to the car.  Whoops.

The snow actually is really pretty, when it isn't March and everything is soggy and gross.  Oh yeah, I have a hula-girl on my dash.  She has a hat and a cape now.  

Sniper didn't mind the snow at all.  She followed me in and out of the house on the several trips I made moving things into my car.  

This one, however, was having nothing to do with the snow.  She just looked at me (yeah!  Way to go, Penny!  I didn't even have to make a fool of myself to get you to look at me!) and wondered when I would pet her.  

  

This was not the dresser I moved.  I can't move this dresser by myself, and I wouldn't even if I could.  It is evil.  EVIL.  When I was a senior in high school, this dresser decided I no longer needed a toenail on my big toe.  Yeah.  That kind of evil.  My dad was called home from work, I went to the hospital, saw a podiatrist (because the ER was too busy, we just made an appointment), and learned how to soak my foot properly for 8 weeks.  Oh yeah, this trauma happened about 2 weeks before prom.  I hate this dresser.  And it's ugly.  

This little girl was waiting for me when I got to my mom's new house.  Her name is Trixie, but apparently it should be Houdini.  She's my aunt and uncle's dog, who were over installing the hardwood floor in the living room.  It's looking good!  

On my way home, I noticed that the river was a little higher than it was on my way to my mom's.  A lot higher.  The path I walked on last Friday is now completely under water.  Probably 3 feet of water.  

Here's the river today.  This is not good.

The path is on the left side and is usually visible from the parking lot where I was standing.

Yep.  No more path.  Just water.

This is usually a soccer field.  Now it is part of the river.  I can't imagine how this would look if there was no flood control in Rochester.  

See you after I dry out!

-Erika

Spring is here!

Well I think Spring is finally here.  It's raining, and the snow is mostly gone.  The grass is still that ugly shade of green-brown with some road sand mixed in for something different.  Yuck.  

I went for a walk yesterday with the dogs.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and the empty field next to the house was begging to be explored.  I left with the dogs, who were excited to get out of the yard.  Sniper was jumping all over me, and Penny actually got up from her spot by the door.  That's excited for the big one. 

They took off across the field, smelling everything they could and generally ignoring me.  I tried to get them to look at me, which if the neighbor had been home would have been slightly embarrassing.  

I might have been talking to the dogs the entire time.  Might have been, but then I also have been trying not to sink in the snow.  Sometimes I get too excited for Spring, and I forget that snow is cold.  I end up wearing not-so-weather-appropriate clothes and shoes for what I'm doing, and I end up doing something like this:

Stupid.  Yeah, that snow is now large ice crystals instead of snowflakes.  Ice hurts when it scrapes your legs. Whoops.  It reminded me of walking on a giant snow-cone.  

The dogs were really interested in ignoring me and finding imaginary rabbits and woodchucks.  I swear they didn't even know I was there even when I was standing right next to them.  

She's frustrating when she's ignoring me.  Penny!  Look at me!  I promise I won't take your picture since you clearly hate it.  She's slightly passive-aggressive.

Sniper, on the other hand, is just crazy.  I think she got stuck under this tree for a while, so I took pictures instead of trying to help her.  Whatever, she knocked me over when I opened the gate to let her out that morning.  

I didn't know there was a sand dune next door until yesterday, and we've been working on the house since November.  That sand was a pain to walk across.  I'm not very coordinated normally, but put me on sand and I can barely walk upright.   

The dogs didn't even seem to notice.  They just found some more snow to run across and eat.  

It's a giant doggie snow-cone!  They seemed to enjoy eating the snow I was trying (and failing) to not sink into.

We got back to the house and I found this in the yard:

It's a leftover from the previous owners, and it was whole when we moved in.  Sniper found it and is slowly demolishing it.  She also found a two-liter bottle of RC Cola.  Usually we give her empty bottles to play with and destroy, so she saw this one in the snow and decided it was hers.  (Note to my mom: don't put things in the snow if you don't want Sniper to eat them)  She discovered the joys of carbonated beverages.  

It's no surprise she was hyper when I came over.  That bottle was mostly full that morning!

Penny just ignores that silly little dog's antics.  Clearly Penny is much more mature and intelligent than that little dog.  Or she's just lazy.  You decide.

Happy Spring!

-Erika

P.S.  This is what happens when you use a saw in your brand-new kitchen.  It throws pieces of wood into the ceiling.