Growing

Taryn grew!!!  3 inches in 2 months! it was a bit painful and possibly not done (still having growing pains)  She got her hair restyled and is ready for a great Junior/Senior year! heres the new girl!

 

 As an Outstanding Teen title holder she participated in a Catalion Fashion Show in Scotsdale

 

Hey Katie, It's your birthday

Happy 35th Birthday Katie!  We love you and hope you have an awesome day celebrating you. My gift to you is Justin has agreed to be your slave this weekend.  Make good use of him.  xoxo  Montana Howells

AND THE HARVEST CONTINUES

Most of my neighbors now have benefited from my very ambiguous apricot tree and the last family is coming in about 45 min to help get the last ones down.  I had the first peach on cereal yesterday and pear and peach on yogurt today.  So we'll tackle them next, whew!  At least the trees are smaller so they'll be easier to pick.

When I returned from MT I found that I had only half a tree due to violent micro burst winds which caused lots of damaged in Providence and Paradise which also had lots of flooding.  Carl (with his two chain saws came up Monday and cut the largest one off and then a smaller one of opposite side which left what is shown on left.  It's not a "Charlie Brown" tree yet and I still love the color when I look out of bathroom window first thing in the morning.  May have to have it felled next spring if it doesn't survive winter.

On Tuesday afternoon I tended 5 week old Asher while his mom gave her student his violin lesson.  It was fun talking baby talk again and you can see how he oohed and awed when I sang to him.  He is smiling a lot now which was so fun to see.  We need another baby in our family - who's up for it??????  He's currently in the mountains of CO hiking with his parents.  Their pediatrician gave the okay as he and his wife took their two week newborn hiking also.  I'm sure he's really enjoying the scenery.  

I got to hold another baby, Jackson at 7 weeks, and it was good to meet him and see Shannon again.  She met us at the airport before my flight, Rebecca's doctor's apt and their family camp out (hope she'll blog about their adventures).


My good friend's dad died last Sunday (he was nearly 98) I'm helping out with their family meal and will go to the funeral on Sat.

I had a good flight home except that we left Missoula 30 minutes late so I missed the shuttle to Cache Valley and had to wait two extra hours at airport.  Without my lost phone I was able to borrow one to arrange that trip.  I have three doctors appointments next week (one is to find out about retina healing) and also have been in P.T. for three weeks now for right shoulder and arm.  It does seem to be helping a little except for yesterday when I lived on Advil all day.  Michelle Hansen's doctors are still unable to make a absolute diagnosis about her heart and fatigue problems.  Hope they can find answer soon.

Down to One

R.I.P. Sugar

 

 

Haedyn, it's your birthday!

Happy 9th Birthday Haedyn.  Have a great time celebrating your cute self.  xoxo Montana Howells

Moisture and Moments in Montana

Hi y'all from Montana

I had to fly here to Hamilton to experience cooler weather and a lovely long rain shower several nights ago.  It's so nice for a change from those hot, dry and sunny days in Providence without a break.

Now, this is a garden!!!!!!!  What mine should look like, ha!! Jesse wasn't around to put the prep time into mine like he did his.  Rebecca picked lots of basil and Rowan and I plucked three large bowls full of the leaves  to make her delicious pesto sauce.

The chicks have grown into a variety of egg laying chickens (well some of them anyway).  The rest should begin clucking and laying soon and will supply these four with lots of eggs for a variety of uses.  Jesse has been installing a roof to keep them from flying out and keep other nefarious creatures from depleting their egg sources.  One such critter is under the house and Jesse's trap has not even  come close to catching it.
The boys are feeding them a gourmet dish of seeds ala basil stems.

Time out for Play Doh construction.  I've never seen any family with more cans and tools for this activity than the Montana cousins.

Yesterday afternoon we walked down to the  Bitterroot River for the annual River Fest.  We watched an "Animal Wonders" show and we especially liked the skink from Australia named "Blueberry" and the native skunk named "Lollypop". 

But everyone's favorite was "Kemosabe" porcupine from Nevada.  He really loved his banana pieces and did the porcupine dance (swaying side to side) while he made lots funny noises while performing for the adoring crowd.  The huge boa constrictor was a favorite also and Dylan was hoping to be chosen to help hold him with some other children.

Rebecca worked at the Evergreen booth to pass out school registration forms and kids activities.

APRICOTS AND ASHER

During the Hansen Cousin Reunion at end of July, Lance and Becky helped get the first of a bumper crop of apricots down for me.  I sent a large box home with them and I should have sent 4 boxes because they have been multiplying like crazy.  We've eaten them, frozen and canned them in variety of ways and have given them away to whomever would take them.  Best production from this tree ever!!!  And they just keep on coming.....

Of course the best ones were unattainable, but Ryan and Luke Johnson did their best climbing up the tree to retrieve as many as possible.

Here's cute Asher at two days old with proud papa.






and

here he is at four weeks old when he came upstairs to visit me.  He had his best night ever sleeping four hours between feedings making  sleep deprived mom very happy.

Landscapers finally came on Wednesday and removed ugly grass/weeded parking and overgrown fitzer and finished the job yesterday adding small rocks with character.  It looks so much better now and no more weeding for me, hurrah!

The weather is still beastly hot - same as Green Valley, and 10 degrees hotter than Modesto and still no relief in sight.  I think I have saved some of my garden though by covering it with a tent in afternoon to save those transplants I put in when two previous plantings failed.  So I may get pickles and pickled beets after all.

Hey Brooke, it's your birthday!

Happy 42nd Birthday Brooke.  I like these not so serious photos of you.  Have fun celebrating. 

 xoxo Montana Howells