SUMMER'S HIGHLIGHT

It was a great summer. Linda spent most of it in Montana, and I was able to be there often, sometimes traveling from/to Helena for business travel. The best part was family time. We rendezvoused with our children, which of course includes our adopted ones through marriage. Good food, wine and beer, superb weather, lots of laughs and stories, and that invaluable feeling of togetherness and being one of the same. JIR

60TH BIRTHDAY HIKE-CROW CREEK FALLS, ELKHORN MOUNTAINS, MT

                                                                       Lupine
We have been on some beautiful hikes in celebration of my birthday; this one was no less gorgeous. Located around old mining activities, access to Trail 109 was only recently opened, and is now being recognized as an exceptional hike. The trail follows Crow Creek, only diverting from it when the trail gains elevation and levels off in a colorful meadow where we sighted a fox. All this beautiful enjoyment climaxes after descending back down to the creek at the site of the falls. JIR  

                                                                        Daisy

                                                Jake thoroughly enjoyed the cold creek water
                                                     

                                              Charlock (yellow) is a butterfly and bee favorite

                                                        Blanketflower (Brown-eye-Susan)

                                                Bridge crosses the creek early during the hike

                                                                           Bluebell

                                                                  Mockorange

                                                                          White Geranium

                                                                      Wild Rose

                                                                       Wild Raspberry

                                                                          Blue Flax

                                                                         Cinquefoil

REFLECTIONS ON MY JOURNEY...SO FAR

It's about 3/4 over if you go by current life expectancy statistics. My journey that is. It has been a great ride, thanks in great part to my partner in life, who has been with me for more than half of it. You could call mine a "balanced" journey-lots of fun and enjoyment, balanced with hard work and the fulfilment of my professional and personal responsibilities. Before I met Linda, I owe much of my foundation to my family. Values and attitudes were taught and learned, including that most precious lesson that life if replete with risks worth taking. The second more-than-half has been a glorious path of professional and personal fullfilment hand-in-hand with a partner who has given me strength, and supported and loved me unconditionally. Together, we brought to life two oustanding human beings, who fill our lives with hope and excitement. I think the next quarter of this journey will be as good if not better that the previous three. JIR      

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT AND OTHER INTERESTING THEMES

Just before I left South Dakota for the latest road trip to Montana. I was wrapping it up in the kitchen during the tail end of dusk. Looking out the kitchen window, I caught sight of a large sillouhette on our driveway. I grabbed the camera, but as soon as I opened the front door, the extra-large size jackrabbit sped off away from me. I dissapointedly started walking back to the house, only to see another much smaller sillouhette on the concrete part of our driveway. This creature was quite a bit slower and actually seemed to willingly pose for his/her picture (can you discern the smile?).  

                      Wildflower seeds given to us by our sister Alice are now sprouting in our front yard

Hydrengeas (probably miespelled) in the front yard

Our "rock garden" continues to flower despite an obvious lack of soil.

Mother plant African Violet on the right, offspring on the left. Don't ask me how, but there has obviously been a mutation. JIR

ONION ODDITY

The Ramirez family does not make any claims to having a farming heritage. You could certainly question that fact by discussing our recent vegetable garden ventures, including those of our children and spouses. I have always been proud of my grandfather's dairy farm in Cuba, which consisted of 2 cows he milked for family and neighbors. I would not know, but I'm almost sure totally organic and unpasteurized.
Not having seen and experienced this before, I'm excited to publish pictures of what is really a mere accident-2 onions which we never harvested last year. Hibernating through last winter was no easy feat, which may explain the blosoming energy of these plants now that Mother Nature is rewarding them for their determintaion to survive.
I don't know what is under under the earth beneath this show of beauty and energy, but who cares, there are plenty of onions at the store. JIR