my montana autumn ~

All I can say is.  Glorious.  Montana.

Autumn color is all but gone in the neighborhood, but i always love the look of the leaves on the lawns, and sparkly fresh with frosty dew… and I was grateful for a day out and about in the country side of Montana too.

C’mon and ride along with me?

In my teaching travels, I detoured to go on the back roads… {always my favorite} ~ this one through the hills of the Bridger Mountains, and as I was getting there, I came across some stunning clouds and an early fall storm.  It was pretty darn stunning. I stopped what seemed like hundreds of times, because…. well, there was just amazing everywhere!

This what I call the classic old church at Ringling, MT.  It used to be kinda classic, I should say; all brown, worn-out siding, from the good ol’ western days; it was all the same color of the siding that is on the top half.  It’s now been painted…. some kind… of blush pink color…huh?  hmmm…  Perhaps it was needed to preserve… but seriously ~ Blush Pink??  Oh well.  Still ~ it does make for an interesting picture, so there ya go!

And old community cemeteries.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hang out there, but there is something special about the small community cemeteries, and how locals care about them.  I particularly liked the view of the old iron sign on the side of the road, the barbed wire hat hanging at the side, and right next to the cattle gate.  Gotta love it.

And I loved the little homes for the Mountain Blue Birds, too.  Good ol’ #8!

And… I try never to miss an opportunity to photograph beautiful horses, too ~ especially against the backdrop of mountain majesty and golden-green fields… and just gulp-in the gorgeousness of this little valley~spectacular no?  Nice view huh.

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Many times, I am surprised by what I see when I step out of the vehicle, and get that foot-stepping, down on your knees look at the details of the landscape at hand, those scraggly woody bushes, barbed wire and posts. So cool.

So, as I climbed mile by mile up the hillsides of the Bridgers, I felt really blessed to be able to drink in this day… steeped in the tremendous beauty, and be in a strange mixture of weight and glory.  Yup. That’s awestruck.

Thank you Lord ~ and thanks for the company of your presence!