17 July 2012

Back Home Again: Sweet Montana

Though I leave part of my heart in China, it is good to be home again.

Car Camping
My friends had a camp-out all planned as a welcome event, out on the Big Hole River sagebrush prairie where the antelope play peek-a-boo:

Where we could spend the evening sitting around the fire:

Enjoying great views and dramatic sunsets:


Start the morning with a pot of coffee:

Then take a long hike, the hills dotted with elk herds:

And beaver ponds for the dogs to cool down and fetch sticks:

Wildflowers blooming (elephant heads, Pedicularis groenlandica):

Butterflies blooming, too:

An afternoon thundershower brought mammatus clouds:

Followed by a double rainbow:

On the way home, of course, there's a stop at Dairy Queen:

Hike at The Moulton

On a hike in the hills just north of our home, I was glad Molly-The-Dog heeled as we watched this curious badger:

We did not see Bear, but did find fresh spoor:

Not that I'm paranoid, but I did take the unusual precaution of arming myself since a human body was recently found in this area, and the murderer has yet to be found:

Montana Folk Festival

Good timing. A week after my arrival, Butte hosted three days of dancing, good food, and music from around the world:

This is the 5th year for this event (the first 3 were as the National Folk Festival). As usual, the Original Mineyard provided a dramatic stage:

With several other stages operating, it was hard to choose where to go (and what kind of music to dance to) at any given hour:


Yes, it's good to be home under the Big Sky:


9 comments:

BLD in MT said...

Welcome back! Glad you made it safe and sound and had such a fabulous homecoming in store!

I most certainly enjoyed your adventures abroad, but I always enjoy your Montana adventures, too.

(I see you are doubly armed, too, bears and humans! I hope you need neither.)

I'd like to see a badger. Its been so long and they are so striking.

Janie said...

Must be nice to come home to such a beautiful place. The homecoming campout looks like fun. Love the double rainbow, the doggie ice cream cones, and the beautiful sunset glow on the clouds.

Sylvia K said...

What a great homecoming! And such a beautiful home it is -- your captures have triggered a bit of longing for my old home state!! Gorgeous skies, sunsets and colors, wonderful friends, good music!! All of the best! Welcome home!

Arija said...

Well, you have been "there and back again" and enjoyed your big China adventure as well as being home again with good companionship and a rip-roaring party.
I bet it is good to be in the clean air of the mountains again and enjoy their solitude.

Veronica Wald said...

My favorite photos: the coffee pot, and the dogs enjoying their DQ treat. Aren't you glad to be home?

Hope to start posting my Yellowstone-Teton trip reports soon - fighting a computer virus first :-(

Anonymous said...

A trip is wonderful, but there is noting like home! I love the sky shots, the butterfly and the dogs, best.

The Equestrian Vagabond said...

you're back - yay! looking forward to more northwest outdoor adventures!
- The Equestrian Vagabond

Secret Agent Woman said...

Good to travel and good to be home again, isn't it?

troutbirder said...

Catching up on your recent posts Pat, as my computer gave up the ghost and I've been dealing with several medical issues. Did manage to make a camping mountain hiking trip to Galatin, Madison and Bitterroot areas sans flyrods though with spouse and some friends. It had been over a decade and it was so good to be back in some of my favorite places in the world.