Went into Glacier National Park last week and it is totally beautiful this summer. Usually in July the snow is sparce, but this July there have been many beautiful snow scenes to enjoy. It is warming up fast so I am sure there is a lot of melting going on this week. Will look forward to next set of photos in the park!

Beautiful Snow Covered Mountains

We spent the afternoon and evening on Whitefish Lake in Montnana and boy was it cold! Instead of bathing suits we sported jeans and Columbia fleece jackets. We had a great time never the less. We enjoyed a great picnic on the lake then bundled in blankets to watch the fabulous fireworks from the boat that evening. Now, I can say I survived a really cold July 4th celebration!

Try this Blueberry Muffin recipe this weekend! Your family will love them. Quick and easy. This recipe was from the 1950s when it was hard to purchase fresh blueberries. Use fresh! (Click on photo to enlarge recipe)

This is one of my friend’s new baby donkey. Her name is Patches and she is just about the cutest little animal I have ever seen. I pretty much think there is no way possible for any living creature to be as darling as this little girl. Notice the little tuft of hair on her head. Precious, simply precious. I look at the photo and my heart skips a beat! Patches was born in late spring and she is in the process of being introduced to a halter. I hope to be able to visit her soon. I think she is going to be a very special and well loved baby! Thanks to K. for sending me this photo and allowing me to blog about Patches.

As I have said before jackrabbits are very fast and never hang around for any photos. Unfortunately, our weather has been brutally hot and dry. All the pasture grasses have dried up to nothing and this week even the weeds have died. No pasture grass is devastating when you have livestock, but even the animals in nature can suffer from a lack of anything green. Our livestock get plenty of supplemental hay, cubes and grain so are all fat and happy laying under the trees trying to stay cool. We fill the deer feeders so the deer have corn. (The pesky raccoons get their share also) We buy huge bags of birdseed and spread all around the farm for the birds. With everything brown and dead the place to be is my farm house yard. It is lush and green so that is where two pairs of jackrabbits have been hanging out to graze on the grass. They have been so hungry that while I am working and out and about they just look at me and never leave my yard. This would not happen in normal circumstances. Other visitors to my yard while I am sleeping are an armadillo or two, raccoons, possums and skunks. Not crazy about that bunch. The armadillo’s do a number on my lawn. But, as cowboy says they are aerating the heck out of my yard. If you visit you will have to watch your step; those armadillo holes are big enough to fall in!

Got this shot of one of my jackrabbit friends in the pasture by the barn. Notice all the dead grass and even a few cow patties.

Still have flowers blooming in my yard, but the heat is really taking a toll on them even though they are receiving plenty of water. I should have snapped shots before they all started showing the effects of the hot weather. I do love having spring and summer blooming plants and really enjoy them every morning when it is still cool. These are a few that are in my garden.

These lilies have been in my yard for many years. They are still my all time favorites.

Daisies are always a good thing.

I have several Rose of Sharon bushes and each has a different flower color. I have pinks, purples and white.

I loved the Tick seed wildflowers so much this year I bought a container to plant in my flowerbed.

These are the last of our beautiful spring pasture flowers. Well, these are not exactly wildflowers, rather flowers that belong to weeds. The weeds that we do not want in our pastures! Never the less, these weeds have produced many lovely flowers. I do not know the names of the plants these came from. I pretty much try to identify my wildflowers, but have never taken the time to find the names of these. Since they made for some pretty photos I decided to post them. If there are any weed experts out there who can tell me what these are I will be happy for any identification!

Yesterday I took a day road trip with a good friend. We drove to see a dear friend who lives in a small country town nearly two hours away. The town has 4,000 people with many beautiful old homes from the 1800s sprinkled here and there. It has a relaxed lazy feel, although I must say that the only time we visit our friend is on the weekends. The area has a heritage rich with agriculture and, as with many small towns, has a historic downtown which is being renovated. It is a scenic drive to see our friend, but with all the intense heat and no rain lately we saw way too many crops burning up on the drive. Nothing spectacular to photograph.

First thing on our agenda after picking our friend up was to go eat Mexican food. We all enjoyed hefty servings of Fajita Nachos!

Next, we headed around town for an afternoon of antique shopping!

My friend came home with this darling 1940s baby carriage for her kiddos to play with!

I purchased this vintage tablecloth at an estate sale we found. Very cute. Only paid $4. I can only say that on Ebay these things go for much more than I paid!

My friends gave these to me for the farmhouse. Aren’t they wonderful?? I came home with fun new decor for the kitchen and bath. Chickens and cows and kitties oh my… I am in heaven!

Think twice when carefully placing your babies, toddlers or kids in wildflowers by the side of the road to catch that perfect Bluebonnet photograph. Take the time to inspect the area really well for anything that bites. This big boy would not play nice.

Cowboy and I love our school and our “Frogs”! We are so proud that our TCU Baseball team is headed for Omaha today for their first time ever showing in the NCAA Men’s College Baseball World Series. TCU has had a baseball team since 1896 and this will be the school’s first appearance in the college World Series. Go Frogs! (June 29 Update: Although we did not make it to the finals, TCU did make it until the game before the finals! We are so proud of this team who not only played well in their first NCAA World Series, but they also showed character. They can hang their heads high!)

Caught this photo of this friendly Zebra last year. He lives on a beautiful wildlife ranch and hangs out with other exotic wildlife. Did you know that the Zebra’s are related to horses, donkey’s and mules? I think this zebra is lucky. He has no lions and tigers close by to hunt him! He has a vast area to roam and lots of native grasses to feast on. Sounds like the life to me.

Son #2 and his family decided to adopt and new kitty earlier this year. They found just the perfect kitten at a local no kill shelter. They had been visiting local shelters for many months. Finally, they saw this precious furry cat and decided he was just the right one. After bringing him home the kitten proceeded to run and slide on their wood floors hence his name, Slider. Slider is a fun and sweet cat and the kiddos are crazy about him. Here are a few photos of Slider.

Slider on the Climbing Wall. (Slider is an indoor cat, but when the family is outside he can come out and play! They have secure high fencing where he cannot get out!) Click on photo to enlarge.

This is Slider’s “relaxing pose”! His family thinks he is going to have to go on a diet! Doesn’t he just exude personality??!

Here is a fabulous orange roll recipe from the Raleigh House which is no longer in operation. The rolls are the best I have ever tasted and if you make them you can be assured you will have not even have one roll left. They are that good! (Click on recipe/photos to enlarge) For more recipes please hit Food & More at top right of this page.

If you simply do not have time to make the homemade Raleigh House Orange Rolls then these are the next best thing. Fixed these for cowboy a few weeks ago and he gave them a big thumbs up!

Here are a few more bear photos for you to enjoy. This bear decided to make herself right at home. Great for her, but not so great for the owners! Thanks to D. & S. for the photos.