This is my simple photo journal. I like to take pictures and once a month or more, I load them onto this blog so that we can remember some of our family highlights.

8.29.2013

Oh Montana, I love you


Tom and I just got back from the
Brainfood Retreat in beautiful Montana.
I have been hoping to see this part of the country, ever since I saw the movie
A River Runs Through It back in the 90s.
Maury and Wendy Tanner were very generous to host this fund-raiser at their place on Flathead Lake.
A donation to a great cause was exchanged for 3 fun-filled days in one of the most beautiful places.






The Tanner's property was idyllic.

Flowers were growing everywhere.
This is a big deal to Arizonans.


Another thing that amazed....clear pristine lake water.  
I am used to Saguaro Lake and the constant dread that a dead cow
(they graze along the shores)
 may be floating beneath my feet in the murky water.
I really think about that kind of stuff too much.




Hidden off to the side of the property-
 a little house in the middle of the woods.
This was the cutest play house I have ever seen.  
 It had electricity,
 a little refrigerator, running water.  A little room to sleep in.
It felt like I had walked into a storybook scene.
To be honest,  I wanted to play in it.


  
A little 4 foot front door



I really want one of these.


Back to the adult world--
Look at this green lawn.  


There were 600 cherry trees on the grounds.
Also blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, grapes
and a large vegetable garden.  
I felt healthier just walking through it.



We saw so many deer, the thrill was gone by the second day. 
They are beautiful creatures but I didn't want to hit one by the road.

Our welcome baskets 



Our borrowed ride.
Tom has been on a kick lately.  He really wants a reburbished VW bus.
I am not really on the same page about this but I don't want to squash his mid-life dreams either.
I was glad he could get a little fix.  I hope it holds him over for a while.
Maybe one day he will get his bus and I will get my little play house in the middle of the woods.




The second day we loaded up 
our 12 -gauge shotguns and had a little competition at 
Big Sky Sporting Clay.





This is what happens when you don't hold your shotgun the right way.  
Pretty huh.




 We made pizzas later that night.






Loads of activities all day long






Ladder Ball tournaments 




This thing is called a jetovator.
It connects to the jet unit on your jet ski, using a hose.  
You can rise 30 feet above the water if you know what you are doing.
Our host, Maury, made it look like a breeze.





For a minute I entertained the idea of trying it and then I watched it beat up some of the guys.







Tom got the hang of it...go T! 

Back to eating..




 Check out the neighbor's 
slide 
He opened up his home for us to come and use.
This place was unbelievable.











Maury's fishing buddy, Jim Bob, dropped in on the lawn and took us for a ride.
This was my first time in a helicopter and I loved that I could take pictures
from a bird's eye view and that I didn't throw up.
I don't fly in an airplane without taking something for motion sickness. 
FYI, don't use the word "buzz" in a helicopter.  Jim Bob corrected us quickly.
Apparently it is a bad word in helicopter lingo.
  Hope that helps someone.





 One night we played a frisbee golf tournament with glow in the dark frisbees.
Each couple got to choose a target and call the Par number.
I could actually throw one of these fairly straight, unlike regular frisbees.
If your interested they are called Aerobie Skylighter discs and Amazon carries them.





Last but not least--

Wendy kept a huge bowl full of every kind of yummy bite-sized treat.
Nuts, caramels, chocolates, sours, sweets...we never tired of it.
Salty and Sweet see-saw action.


 And

The beautiful drink station with 44 oz styrofoam cups.  

Thank you to the Tanners, Ruth and the 
Cowleys for hosting an amazing fund-raiser.