bodner044

If you have been following my blog, you know that this summer we hosted one of my sisters and her husband in the UK.  This is the third in my series on our trip, and only God can get the credit for the glorious weather that blessed us while hiking this idyllic slice of the world - truly the epitome of the English countryside!!! Like many of the settlements in Upper Swaledale, Muker's name betrays its Viking origins.  It comes from the Norse word "Mjor-aker", meaning a small piece of farmed land.  Today, the unspoilt beauty of the area brings visitors from far and wide. The flower-rich hay meadows around Muker are of international importance and are carefully protected. Farmers receive grants which allow them to farm the land traditionally without using artificial fertilizers. In 1998 the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, working with local farmers and with funding from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, completed an important project laying stone flags on footpa...

Precipitation and cooler temperatures have returned to Montana, and somehow it fires my desire to blog.  It's like curling up in front of the fire with a good read, but in reverse - my keyboard is here, waiting for me to create a captivating post.  So, if it's chilly where you are, grab a blanket and settle in your comfy chair.  For those of you in warmer climes, go out on the porch with an iced beverage.  Are we ready?  Then let's begin: Chair One Artists: Ruth Lane, Louise Barker, Paula Rindal  & Sally Glutting ONE: Would you like to own a chair from a ski lift?  Ten chairlifts from Whitefish Mountain Resort were recently donated to the Big Mountain Commercial Association. The chairs were given to local artists to decorate and the resulting works of art have been set up in front of ten local businesses around Whitefish to show off before they are auctioned this month. The proceeds will benefit the local snow bus that shuttles people fro...

If you have children, you know the trials and joys of the family vacation - the constant search for affordable activities to keep them entertained and the lasting memories when you do.  Recently, it was 100% role reversal when we visited #1 Daughter (#1D) in San Francisco - she took complete control of the 4-day itinerary - and it was a treat in every sense.  Here are the highlights from Day 1. San Fran is famous the world over for its vintage rail transit vehicles - cable cars and street cars.  We were just darn proud that #1D had mastered the public transit system back in April when she arrived at the San Fran airport on her lonesome to start her summer internship with California Shakespeare Theater.  During our visit, she navigated nimbly between the subway, bus system and street cars.   On our way to Pier 33 to catch the ferry for Alcatraz, our streetcar driver provided free entertainment in the form of running commentary.  People were a little slow to ...