Summer (?) in Montana

Well, yes, in Montana when we say summer, it's all relative. We arrived here in mid-June and within the first week, we had rain, snow, sleet, hail - you name it. It might have been summer by the calendar, but I assure you, folks in Tennessee, let alone Florida, would not call this summer by any stretch of the imagination!!

We are having a very mild and wet summer compared to previous summers. Can you believe this is our 10th summer in Big Sky? The first 7 or so were drought stricken, compared to this summer. We spent several summers wondering just how close the wild fires would get to us. And, even if they weren't close, the smoke from distant fires clouded the skies and made inhaling unpleasant.

Not so, this summer. Everything is green and the wildflowers are spectacular!! Every hike we go on yields carpets of wildflowers - splashes of yellow balsamroot, blue lupine, white yarrow, red paintbrush. And always, there's that BIG BLUE SKY!! The first wildflowers in the spring are always the delicate yellow glacier lily - these were peeping through the snow on the Beehive trail. We also spotted blue sugar bowls .

Beehive Basin. It's just not summer in Big Sky until we hike Beehive Basin. Our first hike was July 1 before we thought the trail was hikable, and we still hiked through snow fields the last 500 feet in elevation. We spotted a couple of snowboarders hiking up for a snowboard ride down. This trail terminates at an alpine lake in a bowl at 9,200 feet. The cut throat trout are always there - although the lake was still partially covered with ice, and we didn't bring our ice fishing gear!! Three weeks later, Butch hiked up with Ben (who was visiting from Ohio) and Ben caught a 12-incher.

Ahhhh. . . . . Montana summers!!!!

The Florida Interlude - Friends and Seafood

Every year we look forward to our vacation exchange with Martha and Jim Fallis in Clearwater. Here's how it works.... we spend 3 to 4 weeks with them, either in Clearwater in the winter, or in Toronto in the spring; they spend 3 to 4 weeks in Montona in the summer. This year we sandwiched our Montana winter trip between weeks in Clearwater.

So, following my drive back to Tennessee from Montana (see previous post), I flew back to Clearwater just in time for Valentine's day. Joining us for a Valentine's dinner was a classmate from medical school days in Memphis. Wayne Ritt, who retired recently, was in Sarasota (just down the road) visiting family, and on his way back to Tennessee. I don't think we had seen Wayne since the 30 yr reunion 9 years ago, which was the first time we had seen him in 30 years.

Jim and Butch had planned a wonderful meal - filet mignon and Gulf shrimp - yummm!!! Oh, yes, and Florida key lime pie! There was much toasting, picture taking, and lots of catching up on almost 40 years of our lives. We stayed up way too late, drank way too much wine, and had an outlandishly good evening.

Jim has become famous for his annual seafood dinner - we look forward to the great Florida seafood every year, and (for me) the fresh strawberries from Plant City. The best seafood in Pinellas County comes from Wards Seafood Market and it is located only minutes from Martha and Jim's home. This was a Ward's seafood feast - crab legs, scallops, shrimp, and a fresh Maine lobster. Martha had given Jim a very special bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne for Christmas, and they chose to share it with us. Heavenly.

Speaking of heaven, I think heaven must not be any better than this. Let's just say, if there's no champagne, fresh seafood and strawberries in heaven, I don't wanna go.

Our next vacation exchange with Martha and Jim is in May in Toronto just in time for the bird migration. I'm already studying the warbler section of my field guide to birds!

From Montana to TN - by way of Florida

OK - OK!! I know I have been very, very lazy about posting to my blog. Facebook is quicker and easier. Perhaps I should change my attitude about blog posting and redefine it as a Facebook clone. I do get to go on and on on this page, however; knowing this, I tend to put off reserving the time to update my blog. But, then again, I wind up spending an inordinate amount of time on Facebook - so much for the "quick and easy" argument!!

Since my last posting, I have driven - yes DRIVEN A CAR - from Montana to Tennessee. Then hopped on a plane back down to Clearwater for a quick warm-up before driving back to TN with Jim. Now, I absolutely love to drive, so that's no problem for me, and my trusty I-Pod podcasts provided all the conversation I needed. I caught up on all my favorite podcasts - Fresh Air, Splendid Table, Speaking of Faith, Shields & Brooks, Talk of the Nation, Prairie Home Companion. I just podcasted my way across the country!!

Leaving Big Sky on Tuesday morning, my goal for the end of the day was Loveland, CO, where I had a Homelink overnight stay planned. I left in the snow and arrived to a BEAUTIFUL snowfall in Loveland - such big, wet flakes followed me the last 30 miles into Loveland. Darlene and Gene welcomed me with a glass of wine, a great dinner, and a cozy bedroom - so much better than a cold, impersonal hotel room.

The snow from the previous night arrived without any significant wind, so those big, fluffy flakes flocked everything in sight. I just couldn't believe my eyes! Even more unbelievable was the fact that the roads were perfectly clear due to the moderate temperatures. Darlene and Gene's home is at the top of a mountain and I was able to get down the narrow mountain road without any problem.

Since it was only 4 days before Valentine's Day, I just couldn't resist sending my Valentine cards with a Loveland postmark. Loveland, Colorado - where Valentine's greetings are posted on the streetlamps!!

Many people mail their valentine greetings to Loveland to get the postmark, but I was there "on the ground" and took advantage of the opportunity. I managed to spend almost 2 hours in Loveland selecting cards, going to the post office and making pictures.

Since my goal for the end of that day was Kansas City, I got off to a late start. Soooo....... I was moving rather rapidly across Kansas - straight roads, no traffic, etc. .... when I met up with a nice Kansas state trooper. Suffice it to say, I made my contribution to the Russell, Kansas bailout fund! I arrived in Kansas City around 9 pm, grabbed a Sonic burger, and went to bed - quite a contrast to the warm hospitality in Loveland the night before.

My third day on the road, Tennessee was calling my name! I was up early with a quick breakfast at Holiday Inn Express and on the road by 8 am. I arrived in Nashville on Thursday at Marci and Ryan's at about 4:30 pm, glad to be back in TN. When I hit I-24 in Paducah, KY, the damage from the recent severe ice storm absolutely amazed me. It will take a lot of time to clean up the devastating destruction of this event. I actually felt grateful that the freeways were cleared and that I didn't have to find a hotel room, many of which were occupied by local residents who still don't have electric power almost a month after the storm.

Marci had a great dinner for us, we watched the first episode in the new Survivor season and tried to watch a movie - emphasis on the word "tried". I think I was asleep inside of 15 minutes!

I was up early the next morning and off to Monteagle for a quick overnight with Jimmy and Will. Since it was the eve of Valentine's Day, I made cupcakes for Will and his two friends to decorate and picked up some valentine window stickers for the elevator doors. The best Valentine hug award goes to Will - my favorite grandson!!

Saturday morning, Valentine's Day, I was off to the airport for Valentine's dinner with my husband! That will be my next post - I promise - soon!!

Fun in Montana!!

We have been in Montana since January 20. Can you believe I was on a plane on Inauguration Day?@!! Thanks to the magic of Blackberry, I was at least able to download Obama's speech and read it before we touched down in Bozeman. What a wonderful day!!

We had a decent amount of snow this trip - not the 500 inches we had last year, but still better than most. All of my favorite runs were skiing very well and there was enough powder to give my quads a great workout. No, marathon training just doesn't do the job on those quads - I even had some upper body soreness. One of the most frustrating things about an aging body is that you just can't take muscle tone for granted - aargh!!!

Our Chattanooga contingent was in Big Sky for 10 days and we had a great time. This was the first winter trip to MT for Bess and Randall - I don't think they missed much, from snowshoeing to dogsledding to snowmobiling in Yellowstone, I think they slept very well at night.

Connie and Kat, my snowbunny ski buddies, are back for our annual ski bash. This time, they brought their hubbies. With eight people in our condo, it was reminiscent of college weekends, except that I actually remember what happened!

The Friday night sleigh ride at Lone Mountain Ranch was, as usual, a real treat. We girls all wore our furs and climbed into the sleigh pulled by our two horses - Minnie and Pearl. They swore it was conincidence that we were from TN, but we love thinking that this team was chosen especially for us.

Our driver, Bruce Anfinson, was also the entertainer for the evening once we got to the cabin. Bruce is quite an accomplished storyteller, guitar picker and singer/songwriter from Montana.

The meal at the cabin was quite good, particularly the prime rib, served with horseradish and sauteed mushrooms . There's just something about riding through the brisk outdoors that makes food taste so much better.

I just can't seem to keep up with my blog. There's more Montana fun to report, but I am on the last leg of my cross country trip - Montana to TN in 3 days - so, I'm off to bed in Kansas City and ready to head on in to Nashville tomorrow.

Marathon #3 - Disney

Yes, I did it again!! Am I crazy? Somewhat, I think I am, or maybe just addicted to the whole culture of marathons and the people who come back time after time to this challenge. There is something cult-like about this whole experience. After each marathon I have said, "This is the last one - maybe a few half marathons - maybe!" But, then, I do a few half marathons and it's just not enough. After all, if you are not totally wiped out, where's the challenge?

This was the second time I completed the Disneyworld Marathon, and I spotted some of the same people on the course. Once again, I wore my bright orange Tennessee jersey, and I guess it made enough of an impression last year that the same people recognized me again. At about mile 16, I caught up with the LSU fan who was doing the marathon with his daughter. He told me that LSU fans love their new coach from TN - former defensive coordinator John Chavis. Then there was Mary, from Morehead, KY; at age 63 she has done 22 marathons. And, you think I'm crazy?!

And the results are - drum roll......... 7 hrs 3 min. Not my best time, for sure, and 3 minutes short of my goal. I really just needed to step it up a bit for the last 5 miles, but I just lost track of the time after I left MGM at mile 24. My pace through mile 20 was just fine at 5 hrs 17 min, and it should have only taken me another 1.5 hrs to finish the 26.2. Oh, well.... what can I say.... I finished, I got the medal and the t-shirt. Of the more than 20,000 who started, only 15,000 finished, so I'm proud to be part of the 75% who finished.

Best of all was having my own cheering section - Marci and Ryan, Jim and Martha Fallis, and - best of all - my wonderful husband, who practically ran the race with me. I saw him at miles 2, 9, 12.5, 19 and he actually walked with me from mile 22 to 23. Marci and Ryan were at mile 16 in Animal Kingdom and mile 24 in MGM. Martha and Jim were at mile 9 and at the finish, where Martha had her camera working overtime. At all those spots they showed up with nutrition bars, oranges, bananas, Gatorade etc. and an extra measure of moral support. And, at mile 20 I got a text message from Jimmy cheering me on - the wonders of technlogy!!

Will I do it again? Probably. Right now, I'm cooling my heels in Big Sky and praying for fresh powder so I can hit the slopes. When we get back to Florida in a few weeks, I'll start back in training for the Nashville half marathon. The amazing thing is that after this marathon, I had no physical problems. A few aches and pains were worked out immediately after the finish with about 20 minutes of stretching, a couple of Tylenol and the requisite ice bath. The next day, I was totally mobile with none of the blisters that crippled me last year for a week.

So, yes... I think there are some marathons left in me. The day after I finished, I got an email announcing the inaugural "Rockin' the Strip" marathon in Las Vegas in December 2009. Sponsored by Elite Racing, these Rock 'N Roll marathons are terrific events with bands at every mile. Disney has been fun, but it does cut into my skiing time.

So, here we go again. There is something to be said for "use it or lose it", and I fully intend to use it as long as I can. The answer to the question, "Why do you do it?" will always be, "Because I can!!"

Christmas Limo

OK - I know it's not Christmas anymore! But, the limo ride in Nashville and the Christmas lights were the best. Marci and Ryan had arranged for a PT Cruiser limo to pick us up just at sunset and we set off for tour of some of the gaudiest Christmas lights I have ever seen.

This tradition goes back a long way with our family. For years, we would all jump in the car the week before Christmas and find the "tacky Christmas lights" in Chattanooga. We never did the tour in a limousine - this was a first.

When we went out to get into the limo, Will immediately exclaimed, "It's a movie star car!" The car was stocked with hot chocolate and cookies. It was decorated with tinsel and Christmas light bulbs and the driver was decked out in a red sport coat and drove like a frustrated Indy car driver. If you have ever ridden the Rockin Roller Coaster at Disneyworld - you get the picture!

The tour started in Bellvue and wound through west Nashville all the way down to Brentwood and Franklin. At George Jones' home in Franklin, we found Santa Claus sitting in a gigantic rocking chair. Will climbed up in the chair and got a coloring book and crayons, and a Christmas card from George and Nancy Jones.

The last house we visited was the ultimate Christmas house. Not only did the owner decorate his own house, but he also decorated every neighbor's house who would let him. The whole street was lit up with displays depicting Santa Claus playing basketball, a green dragon, a toy dump truck, pink flamingos (no kidding!!) in addition to the more traditional stars, Christmas trees, icicles on the roof eaves, etc.

When we got back, we ate the delicious dinner Marci had prepared, went to bed and got up the next day to go to see the Grinch on Ice. I was preparing for the marathon, so I did a 21-mile workout instead.

OK - now my Christmas blogging is finished!

Happy 100th Birthday, Fuzzy!

I have never known anyone who reached their 100th birthday. I know this is quite common - at least if you watch Willard Scott announce centenarian birthdays on the NBC Today Show. But, REALLY - I have never known anyone personally who reached this impressive achievement - until, Ruby Haynes, aka "Fuzzy". What's even more special is that she was my mom's best friend and 1st cousin. My mom would have also been 100 years old this year.

Now, this isn't just any 100-year old. First of all, does she really look like she's 100? You might guess 80. How many people still ride their bicycles (3-wheelers) at 100 years of age? Or even 80 years of age, for that matter? And, how many pills do you take each day if you are over the age of 60? For myself, I take 3 (including a "baby aspirin"), and I consider myself healthy. Fuzzy takes 1 pill per day. When asked what her secret was for living so well and so long, she talked about eating well and staying active - can't get away from the diet and exercise routine! Boring, I guess, but face it, it's worked for her.

We had a great party - two parties, actually - on Saturday and Sunday. So many relatives I haven't seen in years came in for this celebration and to pay tribute to this remarkable woman. She still attends church every Sunday, so part of the celebration was a covered dish dinner after church services in one of the local elementary schools. There was plenty of time for sharing stories and memories and many spoke of the impact Fuzzy had on their lives. The principal of the elementary school was in the Brownie Troop Fuzzy led and many remember her from Ruby's Kindergarten.

Fuzzy started a kindergarten after World War II because she believed children needed a head start - and this was years before the Head Start program was even thought about. She loved to teach and put herself through college in order to realize her life ambition.

As I write this, I am reminded of the women in my life who have paved the way for my generation of women to achieve what we have been able to achieve. In the 6th chapter of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament I find the phrase "We drink from wells we did not dig.." Surely Fuzzy and my mom and other women who surrounded me dug these wells from which I so freely drink today. And, I am grateful, as this year comes to a close, and I think I have just discovered my New Year's resolution - "Keep digging those wells!!"