The dog pack of Toston

This is an old one lane bridge over the Missouri River at Toston, Montana. You can see Toston on the other bank of the river. We had quite an experience in Toston. It is a small town with dirt streets, and many old and abandoned buildings. I thought it might be an interesting place to take some pictures. When we drove back across the bridge, a woman was on the corner of the street and six dogs were with her. Our dogs barked, and the six dogs immediately charged the truck. One of them was a Chihuahua. One of the larger dogs jumped against the side of the truck and scratched it.

Barrie managed to drive away from them without running over them, but we went just a short distance when three more dogs charged out (and one of them was a Chihuahua!) Barrie got turned around so we could get out of town, and we had to drive through the pack of six dogs again, but this time the woman had a leash on the big dog that had jumped on the truck. He was lunging, and she was kicking him as we went by. Before we got to the edge of town, three more dogs came out to chase the pickup. And that's why I didn't take any pictures in Toston!!

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Having a tailgate party in Lincoln after going for a couple drives in the area.


The dogs eating supper along the Blackfoot River

Another photo of the newborn buffalo calf we saw. I cropped this one really closely, and you can see the cow's rump definitely shows she has recently given birth. The baby looks kind of pitiful, but I'm sure by the next day he was running and bucking

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More Montana Pictures

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We drove up Roger's Pass after breakfast, and saw this sign up there.


Breakfast at Lambkins in Lincoln. The waitress offered to bring Kasey some toys, but Barrie thought two jelly cups and a creamer would keep her happy, which it did. When we left, both waitresses commented on how cute she was and how well behaved she was.

We stopped on the banks of the Blackfoot River for a while to let the dogs run.

Blackfoot River

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It sure is a wet and cool morning. Not really raining, but drizzling. The forecast said it would be a little windy, but it hasn't come up here yet.

More Montana Pictures

Montana Road Trip

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After we went through Ennis, Montana, we saw this large herd of elk. There must have been at least a thousand of them spread out in this valley grazing. It was quite a sight.

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We got to Lincoln, Montana about dark, and stayed there Friday night. What a beautiful little town, and so many large Pine trees!

This is the Lincoln Park. It was so well kept up and clean. There are campsites in the park.

As we drove into town Barrie took us over to the finish line of the Race to the Sky sled dog race. I took this photo just as the sun was going down.

We went back to the arch the next morning after breakfast. Barrie has run this race twice. She took 5th place one year, and 6th place another year. It is a 350 mile race.

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I didn't even get up until after 9:00 this morning, and have been viewing and editing my photos since I got up. I have more to post on the blog, but don't want to put too many up at once.

Home from the Montana Road Trip

Barrie and Kasey and I had a wonderful road trip to Montana. We left Friday morning, went to Barrie's dog lot to take care of her dogs, then drove nine hours to Lincoln, Montana. Well, we took some side roads and a few side trips, and Barrie will have to fill me in on all the places we were.

We just got home tonight, after stopping at the dog lot, and I haven't even looked at all the photos I took yet. But I guess one of the highlights of the photos was seeing these buffalo just north of West Yellowstone. We came upon a group of buffalo on the road, and this little calf couldn't have been more than a few hours old! Barrie took this photo because she had a better shot from the driver's seat. This little guy's umbilical cord still looked wet, and the mother's rump still looked like she had just given birth. He was still pretty wobbly on his feet and was humped over. But he was keeping right on his mother's tail. An amazing and very special sight for us!

I took this photo through the windshield. The calf is almost in the center of the photo.

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We drove through some rain today, but the roads were good. Barrie just called at me to look out the window and I see it is snowing hard and blowing. Ah, spring in Pinedale.

I think Kat missed me. The bathroom rugs were not even messed up when we got home, but they are now. And she has actually rubbed up against my legs.

Barrie is such a good driver, and made sure that I got to stop for every photo opportunity. And Kasey is an incredible traveler. We had a wonderful weekend together. I have more photographs to post later.

Road Trip Tomorrow

Barrie and Kasey and I are taking a road trip to Montana tomorrow morning. Barrie lived up there for several years, and she would like to go for a visit. I'm looking forward to it. It should be fun! Hope to get lots of photographs and maybe even a little plein air painting done. I'll be back Sunday night.

Wednesday - Snow

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This was the view this morning out my upstairs bedroom window across the hay meadow to Pine Creek.

Ghost Truck

This is what I would call a "Bad Hair Day". This little bull's hair is coming loose and turning white in the process. You can see the beginnings of his antlers. I thought the moose were gone yesterday, but they must have been right in front of my house hidden by the willows. When a couple of four-wheelers went by, they came up in the driveway.




Someone sent Barrie this photo and she sent it to me. It is titled "Why Trampolines are not Safe in Idaho".

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I got my new Holbein watercolor paints from EBay today. There are 13 tubes. I tried just a dab of each color on paper, and they look really nice. Don't ask my why I needed new paint. They were just a bargain on EBay, and I wanted to try a different brand. I am a shopping fool.

Windy Tuesday

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Kasey's new shoes have Velcro, and she is fascinated with it. She takes her shoes off, and tries to get them back on again. She got one shoe on one day - with no sock and on the wrong foot, but she was pretty pleased with herself.



I have a vine on the south side of my house that turns a beautiful deep red color in the fall. I don't know what it is called

Another older picture. This is Tracy when she rode in Rendezvous one year.

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The cow and calf moose were here today, munching on the willows down on the street in front of my house. I didn't even try to take pictures of them - the willows were in the way. Shorty keeps me alerted when anything comes around. The moose ignore his barking.

I'm preparing a new watercolor painting to work on in art group tomorrow. I have the log cabin image transferred to the paper and am applying some miskit to it. It is on paper I don't usually use, and I will be using my Daniel Smith watercolors, which are pretty new to me. So who knows how it will come out.

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I finally made a decision to buy the 3 in 1 cooker - the one that pressure cooks, slow cooks, and cooks rice. I've never used a pressure cooker, but I remember my Mom used one a lot. I already have a rice cooker, so I can get that out of my cupboards - and the old slow cooker is gone, so I should have room for this appliance. There will probably be a flurry of cooking for a little while. Hope I can make something good.

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Some people call this "SPRING". I call it "The Season of White Plastic Bags Hanging in Trees."

Gloomy Monday

The Remodeling:

I've probably posted these photos before, I can't remember. When I had my attic remodeled, it took a full year. I was so sick of the mess, and the lack of privacy, but I guess it has been worth it. I love the rooms and spend most of my time up here.

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This was the original little attic room at the top of the stairs.


And this is what it looked like when my builder started the demolition.


For a time, I had no roof. And yes, it rained. They covered it with tarps, but there were some leaks.

The room finished. There is a small bedroom behind me, and a large bathroom to the left. Many changes have been made. The quilting frame has been replaced with drawing table and a work table. The little TV has been replaced with a larger one. And the plant got bugs and got put out on the ice.

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It has been a dreary, cold day, with snow and rain once in a while.

Old TV Show

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I was browsing the channels on my TV set and found that the Lawrence Welk Show was on! So I watched it for a while. A real "blast from the past". I think the show was on in the mid-1950's. I must have watched reruns, because my parents didn't even have TV in the 50's. It's almost corny, but I enjoyed watching it - they all dressed so properly, suits and ties, haircuts, and nice dresses on the girls. And of course there is the "bubble machine".

Barrie did some laundry this morning, vacuumed, cleaned out the refrigerator and took stuff to the dumpster. I decided to come upstairs so I wouldn't get run over.

She loaded up some of the branches she cut off my trees and is hauling them off.

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My slow cooker died, it smells like something burnt up in the wiring. I am looking at new ones on the internet, and am not sure what to get. I can spend a little over $100 for one that slow cooks, pressure cooks, and cooks rice. Or I can spend about $25 for a plain old slow cooker with high or low settings. Or I can just live without one and enjoy the extra space it took up in my cupboard.

Saturday

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I started this painting a while back, and decided to work on it today. I can't paint snow or water, so need to practice. I may decide to work on this a bit more later, or I may decide to just abandon it.

I have already thrown away the painting of the rusty old car, and also one of an old pickup and shed. I also did some organization in my studio, so maybe my painting mood will improve. I have two new watercolors started, and am getting the old rusty car on paper to paint again! I just can't give up on it.

And I have committed myself to do at least one small value study per day.




Have enjoyed Judi's flower pictures. Here is one I took years ago and scanned it from a slide. It is Bitter Root.

The newest family member, Hadley. She is my great great neice, and Bill and Alice's first great grandchild. Wouldn't this make a great painting or drawing? Sorry, Nicki, but I'm not a big fan of the headband and big flower!

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The bill to expand the wilderness areas in Sublette County seems like a bad joke. I keep expecting someone to pop up and say "April Fool!" Surely there are enough members of the house and senate with a little common sense and this bill will be defeated. Expecting politicians to have common sense may be unrealistic, however.