Wonder

A stroll  through the  Japanese gardens in Seattle.  The pink blossoms are in the air floating around making it look like a scene from the fairy princess story.

Good Morning

The sun rising over the tree tops in the mountains. What a beautiful site 

What a face.

This is our newest addition to the family. Gina became our girl when her previous family could no longer keep her. She is so sweet. We are so blessed she came to us. That face is so expressive and it is amazing how many different faces she makes.

Winter wonderland

So I ask my handsome hubby to go with me to take some winter pictures. He said "sure"! So there he is in the first picture. I put this picture in not only because I adore him, but because without his jacket and the two trees he is standing between it almost looks like I shot everything in black and white. We are just a couple of miles out of town and it was so quiet and so still that it was breathtaking.  Fresh fallen snow, no wind and nothing moving on a cold Montana afternoon. A beautiful day for a photo taking lover like me. That's me in the last photo, using my digital for another idea, my hubby thinks it is hilarious the stuff I do for a picture I want. 

Selfie

So this is what happens when you lay your phone down to go to the bathroom in McDonald's. Of course there were actually 20 or so "selfies" on MY phone. As I laughed and threatened them to keep their hands off my phone, I started to delete these silly photos and I realized that they are not just silly photos. They are treasures. Treasures of a carefree youth, treasures of siblings getting along and conspiring to get one over on mom. Treasures of a time that will soon be forgotten as adulthood and responsibilities take over. So I kept them and did not delete them. I will show them to them in the future to help them remember how much fun being a kid is. Either that or I will use them for blackmail with their kids😀

Last photo

On December 14th we had to say goodbye to this beautiful girl. Her health had been fading for a long time. Every time we consider taking her in to the vet she would rebound and roll around on the ground like a puppy. Our hearts would melt and we would wait for a while longer. She let us know the night before, she refused to get up, she just whined a little bit and looked at us with those big beautiful eyes and we knew that she was ready. it was late at night when she told us, we couldn't get her to the vet then and she did not want to be in the living room by the fireplace alone. So I got mine and her favorite blanket laid on the floor and I slept with her till in the morning when we could call the vet. John left her in the blanket that she was laying on and carried her the truck and laid in the backseat of the truck.  I took this picture. The last picture of a wonderful, faithful, loving companion. 

Days Gone By

I love Montana! The wide open spaces, the prairies that go on as far as the can see. But can you imagine what it was like in the early 1900's when this homestead was built. Going 15 miles to get supplies was an all day event and going to see relatives in the north 35 miles was an overnight trip and only if the passes were not covered in snow. There was no traffic, no road and engine noise and no neighbors. Just lots of prairie grasses in the summer and snow in the winter. I think I am glad to live in the era I do.