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Snow Ghost pointing the way downhill on Big Mountain How's your January treating you?  Are you glad it's almost over, or do you gaze at the calendar in regret for how quickly the first month of 2018 has passed?  For many in northern climes, January can be a 'gray' time - frigid temperatures, short days with sparse sun, a hole left when the holidays are past ... for my part, January joy has been abundant.  In case you need cheering up (northern clime or not), I am sharing my modest chronicles in the hope you'll find something joyful here. ONE: Curious sights around town Kids and their gloves are soon parted ... reminding me of that age-old nursery rhyme: "The three little kittens, they lost their mittens, and they began to cry." For the hardy Montanan, it's never too cold to get out your kayak ... as long as you have a crazy friend to paddle with you. Penguins frequent our burg in celebration of the Whitefish Winter Carnival, mid-January to early Februa...

Welcome to my ongoing series celebrating the joyful days spent with my sister and her husband in the UK in June 2017.  (link to Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 ) As I perused the photos of our fifth day together, my skin tingled with the recollection of the sun.  I longed to dip my toes in the tannin-infused waters of Aysgarth Falls, and to return to the patio of the Friar's Head, aromatic with the scent of white roses.  Just a few reminders of why I adore my adopted country. This day, we left the village of Oughtershaw, but not before I gazed with rapture once more at this view from the cottage window.   My in-laws headed home; our itinerary included a return to Hawes for a mooch (read: to walk around observing things).  For Spousal Unit and I, "mooching about" is one of our favorite past-times: no matter how many times you have been somewhere, you can still observe un-noticed details, or learn something new. St. Margaret's Church was built in 1850 to repl...

During our log home construction, we have been amused by the names ascribed to the structure by friends and family - everything from a 'lodge' to a 'shed'!  We made the most of the Christmas holiday to discuss this with #1 Daughter and #1 Son: should we give the house an official name?  In a fashion true to our family, we dutifully brainstormed names, many names!  In the end, we decided, as a family, that the best name for the house is 'home'.  So, here is an update on our 'home' in progress! December 19 - finished flooring and fireplace Since November 9 (last post about house) , we have witnessed transformations big and small.  At times, the house has been clean and quiet, and we can begin to imagine a snowy day when the only sounds are the crackling fire and the rustle of pages in a book. And other days, when F250s are parked the length of the driveway, and the house is a hive of activity with workmen, materials and Red Hot Chili Peppers surging throu...