Catnap!

We love sharing our home with our furry kids! Wesley is shown here curled up on the VCR, oblivious to the world around him!

A delightful Saturday in the barn

 

We spent a good part of our Saturday working with church members on the church entry into next weekend's Creamery Picnic here in Stevensville. Such a great group to work with and a lot of fun to see the end result!

It's never too late for Easter

One of the Easter Lilies we planted two years ago choose one of the hottest weeks of the year to bloom in the front flower bed. A welcome reminder that Stevensville isn't always so bloomin' hot!

Going for a walk

Charles got to get in nine holes of golf today in Missoula with two members of the church. He said they spoke about several church topics/issues so he's counting it as a church function!

Smoke rising from Lolo Peak

Tuesday evening from our back deck

Seen from US 93 south of Lolo

The Lolo Peak fire has been pouring smoke into the Bitterroot Valley and will continue to do so for some time to come.

Monty claims a place

Cats seem to have an affinity for boxes and today Monty claimed a box left on the kitchen counter.

Culture in Missoula

 

Children dancing to Hmong music

Qeej (wind instrument)

Charles took advantage of the cultural offerings in Missoula this evening to take in a celebration of Hmong culture at the Missoula Art Museum. Amazing textile work on display!

Local fire briefing

 

 

 

Charles attended an interesting community meeting/briefing regarding the Lolo Peak Fire tonight at the Stevensville school. The fire is located northwest of Stevensville (we're in no danger) and an early indicator of a lengthy fire-season ahead of us.

Lolo Peak Fire Information:

Website... https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5375/

Interactive map... https://tinyurl.com/yacsw2cv

https://facebook.com/LoloNationalForest

https://facebook.com/DiscoverBitterrootNF

(406) 273-8316 (7 am - 9 pm)

LoloPeakFire@gmail.com

The latest from the basement studio

"Stained Glass #1"

(encaustic and acrylic on panel)

Apple Dumpling making!

Belinda at the peeling station

All hands on deck

Yum!

We took part in "Apple Dumpling" making today, our fifth since arriving in Stevensville. The United Methodist Women make these for sale at the annual Creamery Picnic (this year will be the 101st) in Stevensville. We were there from 8 am - 5:30 pm, whew!

A hot day in Stevensville

Twilight comes to the Valley

Charles is sporting a new look

Charles new project underway

It's been a hot day here in Stevensville and we are happy to see the backside of upper 90s tonight.

Charles started a new art project this afternoon, an encaustic piece inspired by stained glass art seen at some of the farmer's markets in the area.

Deck work in Missoula

We had a delightful morning at the parsonage in Missoula where we spent about five hours staining the deck.

Fire season has arrived

Fire season has arrived in earnest in southwestern Montana. There are several fires around the area as this map shows (you have to zoom out a few times to find the Lolo Peak fire, we're just south of Missoula). 

A July wedding

Jan & Jeffrey

Charles was asked to officiate at the wedding of a parishioner's daughter on Friday. The weather cooperated and the smoke from the fires in the Valley were kept at bay by the pleasant breeze.

The work continues in Missoula

The final push begins in the backyard

A lot of work ahead of us

There was a fence behind all that mess

Belinda makes another pass at the lawn

Stopping by for lunch under the apple tree

We took advantage of a "cooler" day to get more done at the Wesley House parsonage, trying to get the landscaping taken care of before the big work day on the 31st. We figure we've put in a total of eighteen man-hours in to this point. The result is quite pleasing!  

A surprise in Missoula

We made a quick stop at the Wesley House parsonage in Missoula today and discovered a deer enjoying the shade in the backyard! How it got over the 5' wall is amazing!

Charles' latest paintings

Upper canvass

Lower canvass

Charles has been making use of his basement studio this summer and completed a diptych yesterday as seen here. 

Titled, "Fifty shades of gray, more or less," the two canvasses show an acrylic paint/water wash using gravity as the means of application.

Seven shades of grey were used as were combinations of those seven shades with an assortment of greens, reds, yellows, blues, purples, whites, and blacks. 

The calm after the storm

The morning after

Charles & Crash

We had a strong storm blast through the Valley last night which dropped very appreciated rain and ushered in a delightful week with temps below 90F!

This evening, Charles paid a visit to a church member's home where we are looking in our the two resident cats. The kitties love the attention!

A job well-done!

Before!

On the lookout for tigers!

Belinda gets the job done!

Three hours can make a lot of difference!

We spent three hours this morning (trying to beat the heat!) at the Wesley House parsonage (in Missoula) working on the backyard.

We are helping to get the house ready for the mid-August arrival of a new staff person who will be working with the campus ministries at the Wesley House at the University of Montana and with the children/youth at Stevi UMC!