Surprise Thunderstorm

©2012 Penny Hall 

Last night we woke to a loud thunderstorm that brought a brief but heavy rain and lots of lightening.  The hot dry land soaked it up immediately.  Things cooled down slightly after temperatures rose yesterday into the nineties. 

It was sixty degrees when we got up at 5:00 AM.  This afternoon I noticed the haze that lingers over the mountains.  Smoke from the fires in the states to the south of us is beginning to show up here.

It has been a busy time since the fourth.   We are enjoying out of town visitors.  In addition to the Saturday Farmers Markets we have several art shows for which we are preparing.  Monday night is the first of three we will do in the Big Sky area.

i love the hustle and bustle of summer, but I may have overloaded my schedule.  Oh, well, deep breath and concentrate on what I am doing now.  The rest will take care of itself.

Fall Leaves

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Fall is here and the leaves are turning gracing us with a beautiful color pallet only nature can provide.  The Ken Hall photo above captures a small sampling of that color.

Yesterday the wind blew strong all day releasing the leaves and creating carpets of color all over town.  The warm temperatures were uncharacteristic of this time of year.

It was so warm last night we slept with all the windows open and woke to sixty degree temps outside.  It was calm for a few minutes then the wind began to blow.

The heavy cloud cover gives a feeling of humidity and moisture.  Temperatures are expected to drop and we are told by the weatherman this is the last of our warm above average temperatures.

Fall Is In The Air

 Photo by Ken. W. Hall -  "Mother Nature is beginning to dip her brush into Fall in preparation for a new beginning." - Ken W. Hall

Ken captured this image yesterday while walking by the Madison River.  The willows are changing color.  The grass is dry and thunderstorms along with careless burns are causing fires to break out.

Children returned to school this week.  Propane and oil tanks are filled.  I see quite a few trucks full of firewood in town.  There is a chill in the air reminding us to prepare for the changing weather certain to come our way.

The local weather man predicted three inches of snow in Glacier.  The people I talk to are resisting the idea of winter.  Our summers never seem to be long enough.

The wind blew all night.  It is still blowing and the temperature is fifty degrees.  Highs are expected to be in the seventies.

Yep.  Fall is in the air.

Madison River Magic

Photo by Penny Hall

I was feeling overwhelmed this morning with so much to do and so little time.  I knew I had to take a break and head for the Madison River.

I love that Ennis is located right on the river.  It takes me less than five minutes to locate a place on its banks.  Today it was a rock on the waters edge.

There is something special about visiting the river.  The sound of the rushing water as it flows past is so soothing.

After drinking in the beauty and wonder of nature's bountiful gifts I began to feel an inner calm.  I took a few more moments to express my gratitude for the grace that brought me all the gifts I enjoy in my life.

Refreshed I headed back to my studio with a little clearer direction and a lot more energy to move forward.

Once again we are blessed with spectacular weather today.  It was forty-five degrees when I got up and it is expected to be in the eighties again today.  The lack of wind makes it even more enjoyable.

Awesome Weather

Photo by Penny Hall

It has been a very busy week and the weather has been spectacular.  I took this photo one evening while enjoyiing dinner with friends. Several days this week we experienced afternoon and evening showers.

The weather could not have been more perfect for today's Farmer's Market.  It was in the fifties when we arrived.  The bright sun and calm wind made for an awesome morning.

It is now late afternoon and about ninety degrees.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful weather unlike many of our friends and family in other parts of the nation. 

Chatting With The Goats

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

It was a spectacular morning.  When I woke it was fifty degrees.  Right now it is about seventy-eight and raining.

Earlier today friends of ours in town for a visit stopped by my house and accompanied me to Jeffers to see my friend Wade Miller the saddle maker .   I needed Wade's assistance so I could complete my latest bowl project.

It was a magnificent morning.  While there my friend and her grandson chatted with the young goats who were quite curious and very loving.  It was a delightful  treat for my friends from Denver to spend time petting the goats and taking in the beautiful view of the mountains.

Late Afternoon at the Campground

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

It was a busy Saturday.  We had a booth at the Farmer's Market this morning selling Ken's photos and my leather bowls. 

After finishing up some afternoon business items we both needed a break so late afternoon we headed for the campground just across the Madison River.

The wind was blowing and clouds gathering.  Fishermen lined up at the boat ramp to head home from a beautiful day on the river.

I noticed the campground was finally full.  It seems people are late coming to Ennis this season but they are finally here.

Just as we got home it rained for about two minutes then stopped.  Now it is nice and cool after such a hot summer day.  Windows are open the the fans running.

Ahh.  Summer in Ennis.

Dinner Guest

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Photo by Ken W. Hall

 

 

Night before last we were greeted by this lovely lady each time we ventured out our front door.  She sampled bird seed until I raised the feeder out of her reach. 

Then she simply moved on to the bushes and sunflowers.  After digging a hole she proceeded to make herself at home and chew her dinner.

Ken has made multiple attempts to restore the damage only to look out and find her back in her favorite spot after fluffing it again to suit her tastes.  It appears we may have a new resident in our front yard.  Wonder how long she will be staying?

She seems to like the shade the trees offer.  Temperatures have been in the fifties in the mornings and mid to upper eighties during the day.  Although it feels hot to us (we do not have air conditioning) it is much cooler than our friends in other parts of the country.  We are truly blessed.

We Followed a Bear

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

 

 

Artist friends of ours arrived on Monday and we have been busy all week mixing work with play.  Wednesday we delivered our new art works to Creighton Block Gallery in Big Sky.

We took the long road back to Ennis through magnificent countryside.  After enjoying a nice picnic on the ground by the river we headed toward West Yellowstone.

That is when we spotted two young bears feeding along the roadside.  Neither of them seemed to mind that so many people stopped to admire them and take pictures.  We followed them along the road for quite a distance until they moved out of site.  It was quite an exciting event.

Ken and our friends burned up many camera batteries and pixels capturing sites too awesome to describe or record.  The weather was perfect.

The week has been part windy, part calm.  The past two days temperatures have not risen much above eighty. 

With most of their work out of the way our friends opted to stay another day to relax, fish and play.  I see new adventures ahead.