Hike up Sweathouse in late July

It was a hot day. The creeks and river waterflows are diminishing. It rained heavily the day before and even though the seasonal streams are drying up, there were a few new “puddles” in some of the draws where everyone and everything took advantage of the water.

To see all the photos in a new window, click Merle’s SmugMug Hike up Sweathouse in late July.

Road Bike, Kayak, Camping Gear – all you need

I was pulling out on the highway when I saw this guy. I loved his get-up. I asked if he minded if I photographed him. He smiled and said, “Go ahead.”

Click here to view all 3 photos in a new window

4th of July Party at the Rattlesnake Gardens

If you haven’t been, you need to go to the 4th of July BBQ put on by the Rattlesnake Gardens – (406) 543-9962

2501 Rattlesnake Dr, Missoula, MT 59802 Get directions Cross Streets: Near the intersection of Rattlesnake Dr and Powell St.

Located near the Historic Lower Rattlesnake District

Jack’s band, Pinegrass, played the music there this year. I had never been and had no idea this was their 10th annual party! I can see why they have been so popular. The family picnic atmosphere was amplified with the great food, beverages, and ice cream. There was plenty of seating in the shade and some in the sun. Music was both the feature and the background.

So many people of all ages seemed to grin, visit, eat, dance and be merry from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. When it was over, the crowd left by bike, foot, and car and with in minutes, the place was quiet and clean. Amazing!

If you want to see for yourself, see the slideshow below. There are lots of photos so you might want to open it in a new window and buzz through it. Or, you can come for yourself next year!

Click here to view all photos in a new window – feel free to download copies

Get your own

Jack will be doing a benefit float on the Clark Fork River this Tuesday and Thursday for the Clark Fork Coalition 320 Float. They will be doing 320 miles in 20 days! Whew. He has decided to use the Rattlesnake Gardens for his lunches. That will be tasty! Lucky floaters.

Indian Blanketflower or Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella (Asteraceae) The common name of this annual is Indian Blanketflower, Firewheel, or Sundance. It has volunteered near a mountain road I use to access one of my hikes. As I took a short cut through a meadow/field, I saw one other site with this flower – also in full sun. It really stands out because it is the only flower on this hike that has bright orange or maroon in it.

The branching stem is hairy and upright, growing to about 1 1/2 or 2 feet tall. The 1-2 inch long leaves are alternate and mostly basal (low on the stem) with edges smooth to coarsely toothed or lobed. The pinwheel, daisy-like flower clusters are 1-2 inches in diameter and vividly colored with red, orange and yellow. The central disc florets of the flowerhead tend to be more red-violet, with the outer ray florets being yellow.

A hardy, drought tolerant annual native to the central United States, it seems to thrive in hot, dry sites. One of my sources says it is an excellent cut flower with a vase life from six to ten days. I haven’t picked it because I enjoy it so much in the wild and there are only a few at this site. Maybe I will order seeds and give it a try at home.

For more photos, see my SmugMug Indian Blanketflower/Firewheel slideshow.

A Town History Fair, Montana in the Eyes of Our Youth

Thursday, March 5th, I was invited to a “Town History Fair” at Two Creeks School in Victor, Montana. I only had a half-hour to see all the boards at the fair and there was a great turnout of parents and friends making crowds at each board. I wish I could have taken photos of them all, but in the slideshow below you will see a few of the boards. These kids worked REALLY hard! More importantly, they had fun learning.

Each child picked a town, maybe they were born there, maybe visited it, maybe had family in the town. For the town, they researched, wrote a large paper, and made a reader board. Each child I photographed, except one, provided an oral presentation as well. I could tell they were very familiar with their subject – even had personalities pegged for some of the key residents. I was quite impressed with their knowledge and delivery. They found a connection and conveyed it to me in a personal and interesting manner. The child that didn’t give an oral presentation was a first year student at the age of 5! Camas is her name and her project about Victor was fantastic. See the photos below.

View Album

If you want to download any photos, view the album, right click the photo and choose “Save Picture As.” Then save to your computer in the location of your choice. To see in full screen mode, View Album and choose “Slideshow.”

A Fort for Learning Just About Everything – Come and see it March 5, 2009

Another update at Two Creeks School. Thursday, March 5, from 5:00 – 6:00 is their Town History Fair. If you aren’t busy, come check it out. The students will be showing off their cabin, but also each one has done a report with visual display on the history of a town in Montana. Ruby Sage did Bozeman, Levi Sage did Hamilton…their poster boards are really colorful and cool. Every kid picked a different town. It will be very interesting. Come by if you can.

Two Creeks School located at the Sweet Sage Guest House
838 Sweathouse Creek Rd
Victor, MT 59875
(406) 642-6400
Get directionsMore information »

To get to the trailhead and ridges of my hike up the Sweathouse drainage, I drive by the Two Creeks Community School. It is attended by my friends Levi and Ruby Sage. During the last week or so they have been busy as beavers creating a “log” fort.

Yesterday the roof fell in.

Last night, Levi and his step-dad, Bill LaCroix, braced the walls.

Today I am told there is a new rule; only two kids on top at a time.

See — they are learning about structural integrity, consequences for instability and structural overload, and hopefully teamwork.

I can hardly imagine what else they will learn in this process! Maybe Levi will write me a paper.

February 20: This last photo is an update sent to me by Ruby and Levi’s Mom, Amy Sage. She said the roof has been reinforced. You see all of the kids in the school in this photo taken by their teacher. They are great kids, smart kids, and are learning amazing things. How lucky they are to have this school in this environment in this beautiful state of Montana.

Anna LaCroix, our Bright Light

Anna is what we call a “Bright Light.” She takes after her sister, Ruby, and brother, Levi! There is one difference, though. Anna was born deaf and has gone through two surgeries for cochlear implants. She is now learning to “hear” amoung so many other things.

See a blog about Anna titled Hearing is Believing at at Wapiti Waters Blogspot.

Here are a few photos of Anna in a slideshow.

View AlbumClick View Album and choose “slideshow” to view in a new window/full screen mode.

Buttercups, an early sign of spring

Today’s hike was inbetween rain showers. We didn’t see any game, but did see new life “springing” up. Buttercups are one of the firsts signs of spring!
The palmated leaves to the right of the yellow flowers are lupine.

On the way home, we passed Amy Sage, Bill LaCroix and their daughter, Anna. They were out for an afternoon bike ride. Anna is one of my favorite photo subjects. I am sure you can see why.