2018 Montana, Food-a-rama, Random Katness, Travelogues

Montana – Day 6

35 Comments

Kat’s cat puzzle caught me. So hard to walk away, especially from all those cute faces. I figure to write a little bit today to make up for it.

Though the temps didn’t hit triple digits again, they came close—and with a touch of humidity in the air, it actually felt hotter. Still, Jason and I braved the heat for our walk to lunch. Good soldiers are we.

We eat inside, because pretty damn hot—and enjoy the variety of the offered buffet. Barbecued brisket? Yes, I think I will.

A little overcast, which may add to that close feeling in the air, but Jason, a very good soldier, walks back. I’ve hit my 15k so a ride will work just fine.

Then there’s that puzzle, just waiting. Why not spend a hot afternoon inside with cute kitties?

Cats, a lot of them/NR

We have activities (sort of) planned for next week, so another lazy day works just fine, too. We’re going to do another paint session, all four of us, hit the trail of horseback (not our Baby Mama!), head into Missoula to shop. I may, at some point, take one of the hiking trails to see what I can see.

But we take a day for hanging, puzzling, sitting on the porch, and eating.

Drone class/BW
The cabin from BW’s drone/BW

And playing with baby names. Much fun for me! They now have the baby’s name choices down to about nine. I enjoy this little contest as I love all the names on their current list.

Have some fun looking up meanings for the options.

Time for dinner! Jason’s on foot again. We have to stop to take pictures of the God fingers in the sky.  

  • Sun low in the western sky/j a-b
  • Day is nearly done/Kat
  • Brilliant sky/NR

They have a Long Table event tonight, but we’re doing that next week. As a result, we nearly have the back deck of the restaurant to ourselves, and a sky with sculpted clouds, a breeze. BW and Kat try the chili—apparently it’s hot enough they ask for sour cream. Out of that, but yogurt does the trick. Jason goes for a wrap, I go for pasta.

Selfie Pano #2/photo by j a-b’s phone

It’s cooled off nicely, so it’s a very pleasant outdoor meal. And the sun’s setting, outlining the clouds in pink, adding some violet, sparks of gold. We add photography to the meal that Kat and I top off with huckleberry and vanilla ice cream. It’s like a huckleberry Dreamsickle!

[From Laura — three different takes on the view]

Kat
Nora
Jason

Our girl’s having some Braxton-Hicks. I think this is the first of them. Not painful, but not comfortable with that tight belly. Baby’s giving her a little preview.

So back home, so mama-to-be can rest.

Workout’s done, and I think I’ll write a little in a bit. Much, much cooler today with a high forecast at 79–that’s about a 20 degree drop. Maybe porch writing! Plus, meteor showers tonight! I hope our big sky stays clear enough for us to see them.

Missoula’s on tap for tomorrow, so I need to make a couple lists. Christmas present shopping, and some groceries. Another homey chore today—a load or two of laundry.

If that doesn’t fill the day, I’ll grab my book.

Nora

In today’s #randomkatness (sorry, there is no #food-a-rama — the sky took up everyone’s attention)

Rock +knots = #randomkatness
I said NO BUG photos (even under glass). Kat disagreed.
Distress from Laura/photo by Kat


Scheduling notes from the Maryland Control Center (aka Laura’s office): Vacations are all about no deadlines, little stress. Not so at home.  My second eye surgery is set for the usual time the blog shows up in my inbox.  So the update may be late on Monday or a two-fer on Tuesday.  Either way, you’ll get Day 7 and Day 8 as soon as I’m back up to speed.

35 thoughts on “Montana – Day 6”

  1. A pretty full day. Bugs…yuck. The rest sounds nice, especially the cooler temps.

    Laura, please take care.

    2. Take care Laura!! You need a stuffed parrot to perch on your shoulder!!!

  2. I love puzzles too. What do you do with them once you finish one? I glue them and hang them up. Enjoy your new grandbaby. Have fun shopping in Missoula.

  3. Love the drone picture of the cabin!! Looks like an amazing holiday, it’s so good to just get away! The Brixton hicks could have been started it of with the hot chilli, hopethey have stopped and Kat is comfy now, choosing nam a is so special. Enjoy your holiday guys!
    Hope all goes well with the surgery Laura!

  4. Always glad to get the blog no matter when it is sent. Thank you Nora for taking us along with you on vacation. A very generous thing to do. And Laura I hope everything goes well tomorrow with your surgery!

  5. I enjoyed taking a break from rereading Born in Shame (for the 8th or 9th time) to read her blog as I sit swinging on our front porch swing with an iced tea. Take care Laura and sending you healing vibes from Michigan!

  6. More great pictures! Thank you for sharing! The cat puzzle is soooo cute and looks to have been an absorbing challenge. Knots and rock and bug under glass are good additions to #randomkatness. I like the three photos of the same scene – nice contrasts.

  7. As always loving the travelogue! Nora is so dedicated with her vacation work out schedule. Not to mention, WORKING while on vacation. We are very spoiled readers.

    Take care Laura! Hope all goes well!

  8. Laura I had surgery for my cataracts in 2013. Recently I had a secondary cataract removed from my left eye. It was easy. Seems like it is always something. Love Nora’s vacation blogs. I wish I had her energy to do a workout every day.

  9. Shopping is suppose to be good in Missoula. We usually head to Spokane because I don’t like the road over Lolo Pass. Have fun!

  10. Thank you! And interesting how everyone has different takes on the same view. Interesting to see how everyone sees the same thing.

    Hope surgery goes well Laura. When you are up to it let us know how it goes. And we understand the delay.
    Katie

  11. Only Nora would brave a long walk to lunch, while the temps hit the high 90’s. When God was handing out the lazy genes, Nora went missing. It’s a miracle she can spend a little vacation time doing nothing. Something else she shares with Eve.
    I love the sky pix, & i never heard it referred to as Gods fingers. I’m going to use that often. I also don’t remember, if you shared the baby’s sex with us. Either way, mom and baby should only be healthy.
    Laura, good luck w/the cataract surgery.

    1. It’s a boy! Name TBD.

      For the puzzles, we just take them apart.

      For tomorrow, due to Missoula, may blog earlier or later—but most important—get that second eye, dealt with, Laura, and rest yourself after.

  12. Fun to read the blog while you are on vacation. It reminds me o lot about COME SUNDOWN.
    Glad you will have the surgery over with soon. You will be happy with how much brighter the world will seem.

  13. Hey thanks Nora and family for sharing your vacation with us….someone else said that was generous of you, I concur. Have mod podged some puzzles and hung them in the man cave/garage, but most just take apart and donate them. Rest after the eye Laura and enjoy Nora and all.

  14. Reading – and seeing – about the cat puzzle while listening to one of Joe Grey’s mysteries, it felt kind of melded together – lol. We always unassembled the puzzle and left it for the next tenants of wherever we were staying. Isn’t it a huge difference, when our dry heat gets a touch of humidity in it? I never could stand the constant humidity, when I spent five years in Virginia. They kept telling me I’d get used to it, but I never did. The Rock + Knots looks like a painting, or a sculpture, and kudos for catching the dragonfly with the glass. They’re fast little critters. I’d have better luck catching my resident praying mantis (resident in the garden, not the house – lol). Laura, best of the best wishes for tomorrow! Already expecting good news.

  15. Sounds like a wonderful, relaxing vacation! Thanks so much for sharing your personal time with us. We want you to relax, but keep writing! Waiting patiently for the next book, I have them all!

    Best to Kat and Laura!
    Kathy in Pittsburgh

  16. I’d love to do that cat puzzle. I’ll have to look for one.

    As always, thank you for sharing your vacation adventures with us, Nora. Laura, I how all goes well with your second eye surgery tomorrow.

  17. Laura, wishing you a quick and painfree recovery.
    Nora and family, enjoy the holiday. Sounds like wonderful family time.

  18. Love the pictures. Very beautiful country. Enjoy your vacation and thank you for sharing.

    Laura, sending positive vibes your way for your second surgery. Take care of you.

  19. I love the #RandomKatness and the Bug photo! Way to go Kat.

    Nora, will there be more puzzles on this vacation? Do you all only do them on trips?

    Laura, take care of yourself. I pray everything goes smoothly. Thank you for thinking of us even while you are going through something.

    1. I forgot to say thank you BW for the awesome drone photo. What a neat cabin!

  20. I hope you all had some luck with the meteor shower. Here on the eastern shore it’s rain and more rain. No shooting stars for us! The rain in our region of the country just won’t stop. Sure wish we could send some to California to stop those wildfires. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Montana is so beautiful!

  21. Nora, I am enjoying the travelogue very much! The pictures are so cool.

    Laura, good luck with the surgery and take care.

  22. Love your sharing your vacation with all of us.
    Laura I had eye surgery in January and it decided to see how cold and yucky it could be. I opened the front door to run out and warm up the car and it was snowing. In Harker Heights, TX near Fort Hood, TX we had snow in January I almost fell over.

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