I finally decided it was time to quit whining about the time change and get y'all caught up on what I've been doing. It's been a busy few months!
In mid-May I met my two fabulous friends, Marylou and Shirley, in Dillon for a long girls' weekend. We had a fun little cabin southwest of Dillon with wide sweeping views in all directions. Across the road was this little stream.
And looking south from the deck
We went into Dillon one day and just kinda kicked around. We stopped at Gracies, a second-hand store. It was a rabbit's warren of junk. We didn't stay long, though, because the prices were not particularly well aligned with the quality of the items. (meaning things were incredibly overpriced.) But there was this wonderful rock wall and charming, and precarious, bench waiting for friends to alight.
We hiked up towards Lemhi Pass along the very path of Lewis and Clark. Although we didn't make it all the way there, Marylou and Shirley did their best rendition of the explorers pointing the way.
We were sad to say goodbye to this charming place and most of all to good friends.
My next adventure really wasn't this one but I'm too lazy to rearrange my pictures into proper order. Anyway, I joined 8 others to drive across the prairie (no, there is no road there) dodging badger holes, sometimes unsuccessfully, in search of nesting platforms for feruginous hawks.
We would find a platform and John, our guide and wildlife biologist, would take down the ladder from the top of the Explorer, we would trek a short distance to the platform, set up the ladder and he would catch a hawk then hand it to one of the volunteers. Then another volunteer would put on the band.
The babies were much bigger than I expected. They were 35-45 days old and close to fledging (a couple did fly off when we got there). Their feet are at full size so there is no worry about the band becoming too tight. Their tongues are quite odd--it has a hole in it, apparently for breathing. Their beaks are quite impressive but they didn't try to bite. If their feet weren't sufficiently secured, though, they did try to grab on with their razor sharp talons. John had blood running down both arms by the time we were done and one of the volunteers got scratched, but not severely.
The kids. They're wondering what mom and dad will say about the shiny new bracelets they got.
The last adventure was a trip to Whidbey Island, always a treat. The weather was fantastic, the best I've ever seen there. The Olympics were in full glory.
As were the peonies
and poppies.
I never get tired of the view from Twin Lagoon.
We stopped by Alix's uncle's farm and introduced Max to the cows.
He was tired afterwards, but still felt the need to help in the kitchen.
I had such a fabulous time and was sad, as always, to leave. Someday...
It wasn't a fancy library, in fact it was a bit tired looking.
But, like most libraries, it held thousands of worlds and escapes and wonderments.
Even though it wasn't a fancy library, people enjoyed coming to it and using its resources (that's me way up at the front giving a briefing to a bunch of first term airmen--they're so cute and so young, babies really.)
The Library had an awesome DVD collection, too (which is primarily why everyone liked coming to the library, but we also have some avid readers).
And THEN, someone who thinks he's smarter than the Librarian decided the Library needed to move. 
