Pretty, Pretty (Kitty) Princess?

Found a tiara in the closet. Cats were in the living room. Of course this is what followed:





Such pretty girls, don't ya think? :)

Glacier Foliage

My sister and I headed back up to Glacier National Park this weekend, hoping to get some ski turns in and revel in the changing Aspen trees. We go the latter, not the former. Surprisingly, the snow had receded too far, so we opted to hike this time. Still wonderful! We were treated to views of great-horn sheep and birds of every kind. I swear I get the most joy out of all the free-range cows though. :)

We chose the East Glacier lodge for a nice big dinner before camping, but after learning that it was their last night open for the season (and it was cheap) we decided to stay. I love that place. So chalk full of history. Kind of has a Titanic/The Shining vibe to it, but still very pleasant! We shared a balcony with one other room, and it turned out to be the coolest Texan ever.

We drank rum and cokes with him, rambled about the beauty of the park and his grizzly encounter, shared stories from our respective towns and vowed to stay in touch. He was flying home the next day so he unloaded rope, food and bear spray with us. Yay for free equipment!

The next day, after a golden sunrise over golden trees, we headed through the park toward Logan Pass. Forced to stop at construction areas, we met cool people and relaxed amid the mountains. It was a nice, slow-paced Glacier experience. We're just so lucky that it's so close we can visit again and again. Every time is different, and I love that at a moment's notice we can hop in the truck and head on up. Here's some photos from the adventure:

A lot less people on the trails and boardwalk this time of year.

All the Aspens in the park were going crazy.
Glacier always changes before my hometown does.

Excited for our hike!

Sister en-route on a gorgeous day.

Cantaloupe Bread Recipe!

A little while back, here, I mentioned this amazing cantaloupe bread that a coworker brought in for a meeting. He just gave me the recipe and I wanted to pass it on to you! It was delicious! And doesn't actually have a very cantaloupe-y flavor to it. Just very moist and rich.

-3 eggs
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2 cups white sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-2 cups cantaloupe puree
-3 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Lightly grease and flour two 9x5" loaf pans.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and melon. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger.
4. Stir flour mixture into the melon mixture, combining well. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven for an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Enjoy!!

They've Bloomed!

Good Golly they finally bloomed! On short stalks, that tiny row of sunflowers has finally opened up to the sun.

As the grey cat and I ran out back for some weeding (she mostly eats the grass), I looked up and noticed their bright yellow faces. How sudden!

I'm exceptionally proud of these four little flowers. They had a rough start. A rough summer. But they're still smiling and making me grin from ear to ear. Standing tallish beyond the Blue Lettuce, they make a lovely yellow and cornflower pair. :)

Nesting Party! Rhubarb Pie

It sure feels like fall in Montana today! Cool temps, moody skies. I'm snuggled under a down blanket as I type. Chilly! Over the week, I slowly took down the summer decor. The sea-themed knick knacks, the bright greens and fun florals.

Now it's time to decorate for Autumn! My progress has been slow, but at least it's moving along! The most important thing that's changed in the house? The appearance of fresh baked pie!


Ah, there's nothing like a warm pie to freshen up the air and mood. I never was a huge pie fan, but when my friend Ry came to stay with us for awhile this month he was very eager to bake. Before I knew it I was enjoying the best rhubarb pie I've ever eaten! The best September comfort food.


I'm joining up with The Inspired Room for their Fall Nesting Party! Please head on over to her blog and see all the other great posts dedicated to the season. And please check back here to see my Autumn decor progress through the month.

I Got Implants!

Did I confuse you with the title?? :) On Monday this week I went to my cosmetic surgeon and got the tiniest implants you've every seen....in my jaw. Yep, no new boobies here, just dental implants. If you remember, I've experienced my share of dental drama over the years, which I wrote about here and here. Oy!

Well, the next step, and next surgery in line were dental implants. At the moment I'm not throwing up, curled in pain or drooling so I thought I'd post a blog. :) My mom whisked me away earlier for a short drive and some food and it worked wonders.

What would I do without Nurse Mom??? She takes such good care of me when I go in for these procedures. And never fails to tell me what I'm like post-surgery (weeping and wailing and making no sense!)

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back to work and feeling good. For now I'm still nursing the golf-ball lump in my right cheek and downing antibiotics like nobody's business. Sure has made for an interesting week!

A Crisp Cantaloupe Morning

I dressed quickly and quietly, picked up my purse, and crept out of the house before the others. I sauntered to work with a morning chill that had me both excited and shivering. I took an extra few beats of time as I looked around myself. The trees, I looked up all the way to the crowns and admired the leaves. I'm gonna miss them in the winter. I noticed that I can see the polished stones under the lazy river. So different than after the runoff of spring, pushing trees down, so different than the ice-covered black snake that the river will become in two months. I glanced at new faces of the students on campus. Noticed the activity like ants before me on the sidewalks. Who knew people could move so fast so early in the morning. As I settled in for our weekly meeting we were presented with good conversation and cantaloupe bread. Surprising and delicious! Not a bad way to start a Friday.

Fresh Veggies ~ Simple Pleasures

I'm teaming up with A Collection of This And That today to tell you one of my Simple Pleasures. This week it's definitely been collecting vegetables from the garden. There's something exciting about parting all the big leaves and finding little surprises. My favorites this year are the lemon cucumbers and so many beans! It surprises me that you can simply make your own food...from seed! So much fun! The enjoyment never ceasing. :)



Please go check out the other simple pleasures at Dayle's site!

Quite delighted...

Oh today has been full of the good stuff. I'm sitting in a quiet lab, finishing up the loose ends of the work day with a paper strand of candy dots. Got to see Mom today and am going home to good friends and a cold beer. Wore a new flouncy scarf around my neck, beckoning the Fall weather as best I can. It smells of my favorite shop in Oregon. Having it near my heart has filled my day with that sea-side escape. I can breathe in and taste the salt, feel the sand.

Halfway to the weekend, but in no hurry to get there. I'm letting the week flow on like the lazy river it is. I have huckleberry coffee to look forward to every morning, and a soft front lawn to sprawl on in the evening. Even with the smoky orange haze of sky, I don't mind. Looks like the world has been dipped in cider.

I can't stop thinking about Autumn. The ruby season, about to stain the town in red and gold and wrap us in down sweaters and closed-toed shoes. I'm already planning my second annual pumpkin carving party. I'll try not to rush it, but the season will definitely be welcomed with open arms when it arrives; Drops its bags, like leaves, and gets comfy.