Only in Montana!

Here is what I found in the want ads of Sunday's Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Classifieds - Lost & Found
Lost: Big Fish on a #6 Hook with 150 feet of line behind it. If found please let us know what kind of fish it was. Call ##########
Ad# 19881353 posted on May 20, 2010

Bill and I could not help but chuckle.

Only in Montana! 

Daisy's Doxie Adventures!!!

Last Sunday I coudn't wait for Dad & Mom to get home from church so we could go on another adventure.  I knew we would be going because out of all the days that week, Sunday, ended up being the only day it didn't rain and the skies were blue and the sun was out. 

After much anticipation we finally got rolling.  Here I am sitting in the car while we head out to the wilderness. 

I am being so patient!

We finally reached our destination of Corbly Gulch.  Dad & I went on this hike a few weeks ago and decided that since it was so beautiful and such a great hike that we just had to bring Mom. 

I just love to explore.  I love to hear the birds sing and watch them fly.  I love chasing ground squirrels, butterflies, and grasshoppers.  I love the smell of the fresh, clean forest.

Dad & I heading over to check out the creek

I heard something that I know I would love to play with!

Dad and I waiting for Mom to catch up. 

She is busy taking these pictures.....

The sky started to get cloudy and looked like it was going to rain.

It only sprinkled for a little while.

The Gallatin Valley below looking west.

Mom loves wildflowers

A cool shot of this beautiful wildflower

Pretty scenery

A good shot of Dad playing near the water

We hiked for quit some time (over an hour) before Dad & Mom decided to take a break and found a nice resting spot under the canopy of this pine tree.  Dad & Mom sat down and munched on some trail mix while I searched the area near them.  I finally decided to rest myself.  It was a really nice place to rest.  I can't even begin to describe the fresh smell of the forest in the air. 

Mom under the canopy of the Pine Tree

After a while we started out again.  We continued hiking for another hour and then headed back down the mountain. 

Me just loving the Hike!

Just seeing what I can see!

Mom taking more pictures of the beautiful scenery.  She is going to be entering a photography contest and is working on her portfolio.  She takes lots and lots of pictures. 

Looking down on the valley below and the Tobacco Root Mountains in the distance. Great shot of Dad's profile!

More cool shots of wild flowers

So pretty isnt it?

It was so nice to get out of the house and enjoy all the beauty that God created for us. 

I led us back down the mountain and mom decided to take this shot..... (I can't believe she took this picture).... But I guess this is what they get to see all the way back down the mountain.  They were laughing because I was in high gear and they were having a hard time keeping up with me.  Ha!

I hope you agree that I have a cute little hiney! 

Ta Ta For Now!  Until next time!

IMPRINTS - Book Review

Sometimes what you can't see means everything.

A young woman is missing. In desperation, her parents turn to Autumn Rain for help. Autumn reads imprints - emotions mysteriously left behind on certain treasured objects. But will this ability enrich her life or destroy it?

Autumn isn't sure - her life has become far from normal - but for people whose loved ones are missing, her talent might mean the difference between life and death. Even the infuriating Detective Martin has asked for Autumn's help, though at times she feels more like a suspect than a consultant. Too often Autumn find herself retreating to her antiques shop and the company of her best friend, Jake Ryan, to avoid notice.

But soon more than one woman is missing, and Autumn teams up with private eye Ethan McConnell to investigate their disappearance. Ethan's attraction to her is a pleasant change from Jake's frustrating offers of friendship, but once Autumn takes that first step, she sets in motion a series of events that risk not only her own life but the lives of those she cares most about.

I am so happy to have been asked by my favorite author, Rachel Ann Nunes, to write a review on her newest novel "Imprints".  I am a huge fan of the mystery/suspense/paranormal genre and really looked forward to reading this book.  I was not dissappointed.  I . Loved . It!  The storyline was so captivating that I could not put it down.  I am a huge fan of Rachel's and own several of her books, but I think this one just became my all time favorite.  This book has the perfect blend of clean romance, mystery, and suspense that I am sure anyone would enjoy.  I'm so glad that Rachel took a chance on writing a book in this genre.  I can't wait to read her next one. 

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good clean book that you won't be able to put down.  You can go to Amazon or Deseret Book to purchase this book.

Rachel Ann Nunes is the author of 30 published books, and is known for her clean and compelling romance fiction.  In addition to writing and raising children, Rachel is the founder and president of LDStorymakers, a group of published authors whose goal is to promote literacy and raise the quality of genre literature.  Rachel and her husband, TJ, have six children and live in Utah. 


Make sure you visit her blog and website for more information.

Daisy's Doxie Adventures!

I would like you to meet my dog, Daisy.  She is a full breed Dachshund and will be 7 years old this year.  These pictures are of her "Happy, I Love Going on Adventures face!"  She LOVES going with us EVERYWHERE, especially if it includes a car ride and a hike (exploring time for her). Often times this is all included on our geocache hunts.  She knows that usually when "Dad" (Dear Hubby) is home and awake, that we are going to go somewhere.  And she expects demands to go. 

It's been our routine lately that on Sunday after church we will be going on some kind of car ride, hiking, exploring adventure.  And as soon as we walk in the door from church she gets that happy look on her face and starts barking which sounds more like "Lets Go".  She can't wait for us to change our clothes or grab a bite to eat, she is right there under our toes making sure we don't leave her. 

So I have decided to begin a weekly theme of what I am going to call "Daisy's Doxie Adventures" where I will share our adventures of the week, sometimes through the eyes of Daisy.

Last Sunday we headed out for a geocaching adventure Southeast of Bozeman towards Yellowstone N.P.  We drove a long the Old Yellowstone Road along the Yellowstone River.  Daisy loves looking out the windows of the car and usually insists on riding in the front seat on my lap, this way she doesn't miss anything.  If she see's cows or horses out in the fields, she will start barking.  She tell's me she wants to go play with them.  She thinks they are Dogs just like her and they need chasing. 

We stopped along the river to find our first cache.  We wandered through some trees and tall grass.  Daisy saw a rabbit and started chasing it.  She saw grasshoppers and tried catching them.  Mmmmm... They are a yummy treat!  The birds were singing and there were some fisherman nearby.

After that we continued on our way up into the mountain to Pine Creek Falls Campground and Trailhead.  To find this cache we were supposed to hike 1 mile up the mountain following the trail.  

We are heading into the high back country which is considered Bear Country.  Living where we live it is a MUST to carry Bear Spray with us at all times.  We also have whistles and know to make lots of noise.  We are especially careful and causcious at this time of year when the Bears are just coming out of hibernation and usually have young cubs with them.  It's also common to pack some heat... just in case.  Knowing that we share our backyard with bears and other dangerous wildlife can be a little unnerving at times, but I would not want it any other way.  We just have to be aware of our surroundings at all times. 

So while we are hiking up the mountain on this trail, I am singing all kinds of songs, blowing the whistle often and talking loudly.  Daisy is enjoying trying to chase all the little critters she see's such as chipmunks and things like that.  Of course, we don't allow her to get to far away from us. 

This hike was AWESOME!  We would never have known about this place had it not been for geocaching. We followed the river/creek the whole way.  Sometimes we ran into snow and ice but it wasn't too bad.  The forest was beautiful and smelled so good.    We crossed the creek a couple times and Daisy enjoyed drinking the fresh water. 

This is a frozen waterfall.  Isn't it pretty?

Once we reached the geocache spot, there was this gorgeous waterfall.  It was so beautiful and peaceful. 

We enjoyed resting and taking pictures before we had to head back. Daisy liked exploring the area.

Another couple with a yellow lab came up the trail behind us and Daisy was acting like that dog was crossing her territory or something.  She was barking and trying to chase him off.  She must have thought she was bigger than he was.   It was pretty funny to watch.

We had such a wonderful day.  This hike/geocache hunt was very much worth the time.  The weather was great, the area was gorgeous, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. 

Daisy is such a trooper.  Even though she is small, has short legs, and she probably hikes twice as far as we do or any other larger dog, she doesn't let that slow her down.  She loves to be with us.  She loves to explore and see new things.  And we sure love to have her with us. 

After we get home from one of our trips, this is how we usually find Daisy.....

Flopped out on the couch......

Notice her hind leg?  Funny Girl! 

She is such a good girl!

Stay tuned for more of Daisy's Doxie Adventures coming soon! 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!!

Wonderful Weekend Adventures

I had a very nice Mother's Day weekend.  Even though I didn't get to be with my kids or family I still had wonderful, adventure filled weekend with my Dear Hubby. 

I did receive these from my terrific kids...........

Mmmmm they smell good too!

Thank you Shellise & Jessie for these beautiful roses.  They put a smile on my face and made me feel so loved. 

On Saturday we went geocaching which took us on a beautiful drive to a place along the Missouri River.  This is what we saw along the way..... 

Yes!  I did take a picture of its "hind end"  LOL.  I liked the picture!

Remember the Horse Drive I posted about?  We found where the horses will be spending the summer. 

And, of course, I had to take some shots as they are my most favorite animal. 

Up close and personal!

Beauty!

Love It!

Daisy with her happy, "I am going on another adventure" face!

She loves going with us.... actually she demands it.

We even came across some indian pictographs!

The highlight of the weekend was the trip we made to the Ghost Towns of Virginia City & Nevada City.  They are both old Gold Mining towns from the 1800's that have been restored.   There are a lot of activities and events that go on beginning Memorial Day weekend.  Things like carriage rides, guided tours, train rides, panning for gold, ghost stories after dark and much more.  We would like to go back and experience some of these things.  But for this weekend it was perfect.  There was not many people around so we could walk around and see what we wanted to see without the crowds that come during the summer. 

Here are some photos of Virginia City...

I loved Nevada City the most and I took many photographs.  So I created a slide show for your enjoyment.

I recommend you go to these Ghost Towns if you are ever in the area. I can't wait to take my family when they come up for a visit!

As you can see we had some wonderful adventures! I missed my kids and family like crazy and wish that I could have been with them, but the things we got to see and experience along with the memories made, helped make my Mother's Day really nice. Thanks to my DH for making it wonderful!