Life - One Day at a Time

Running / Jogging, not Blogging by dmlipinski at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-05-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Untitled by dmlipinski at Garmin Connect - Details

Garrison Inn Plus 9-miler by dmlipinski at Garmin Connect - Details

2011-04-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Garrison Inn Plus 9-miler by dmlipinski at Garmin Connect - Details

A Day (Month) at the Ranch - June 2010

2011-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

A Day (Month) at the Ranch - May 2010

2011-02-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

A Day (Month) at the Ranch - March 2010

2011-01-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

A Day (Month) at the Ranch - February 2010

2011-01-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

A Day (Month) at the Ranch - January 2010

2011-01-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

A New Year and A Year Review

2011-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

January, 2011 ...can it be, already?

Well, it looks like after my marathon training ended, so did the year! Not actually, I still kept a fairly active posting routine over at Weatherunderground, but I didn't come back here at all until a new year had already begun. In thinking about the year gone by, I decided to try a monthly summary using most of the images I take around the ranch. This may get to be a little boring to the viewer, but like the last year, a month goes by pretty quickly, even when using 500+ images. The constraint is the limit over at YouTube to 15 minutes for a video. So, this means for the months that I was really photo crazy, images go by pretty quickly (having just done January through March so far, I used 2 seconds per image during one of the months). I may need to do more than one video for a month as I get into the year, who knows?

In any case, for the few and far between that might wander into this blog, enjoy.

Marathon Training ... Epilog

2010-06-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 19, 2010
Marathon Day ... but I am not running it

Today is the running of Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. For the last five years, and for a total of 24 Grandma's Marathons, I had been there. Not this year. Sometime between the forming of the training plan in late January and today, I changed my mind. It has left me a little depressed as I think about not reaching my goal this time.

There were any of a number of reasons/excuses: weather, cost, my training level, time away from the ranch, and so on, the list could grow. I think the biggest single factor at this point was my mental desire to do the run. While it is true, all of the factors being considered are important, it basically came down to that single fact. I usually like running for the most part. But as I was getting into the long runs early in this training plan (12, 14, 16) I noticed I did not have the mental drive needed to just keep jogging along, and I was walking for a good part of the training. Taking that into consideration, I concluded that I'd probably be walking too much of the marathon and it would take over 5-hours again. As a result, I pretty much scratched "Grandmas" off of the plan sometime in early May (as can be seen by the reduction in training run distances). By late May, I even stopped blogging my running training. I might go back through my logs and add some entries for the training I was doing, but I know the miles were not being run, and I had even quit updating my Training Plan/Mileage Log spreadsheet. (I'll probably update that though, too, just to see how far off I was from the plan.)

So, this entry is posted as an epilog to my 2010 Marathon Training blogs. As is true for most personal journals and diaries, this will likely be unread, but it just needed to be written here to clear my mind and conclude the blog regarding this marathon.

Update: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Whimpering time is over ... I went out for a run!

After writing the above summary earlier today, I decided to lace on the running shoes and go out for a run, after-all. It was a sunny, dry, and warm day with the temperature in the low 70's. The run turned out to be longer than I was planning as everything just felt good. Also, the scenery was great with cattle along the way up Sherman Road, interesting flora and fauna along the road, and great views across the green meadows to Blacktail Mountain and the Swan Range (both had visible coating of new snow from the rain/snow activity that took place over the last couple of days. So, although it wasn't a marathon, it was a good 8-mile run. (Plus, I saved about $800 to $1000 that I would have spent on air-fare, car rental, hotels, and food and beverages! (So, I think I'll buy another new camera! ... P.S. Later still ... I did!)

Let the log show: 8.008 miles in 1:29:08 (So, a marathon would have taken about 4 hrs and 50 minutes if I could have held the pace for +3x of today's distance).

Changing the Target again ... Summary to Follow

2010-05-31T08:29:00.001-07:00

Monday, May 31, 2010
Not sure whether a marathon will be run this summer ... so, some changes in the running plan will take place, again

o Cancelled on doing Grandma's Marathon (unless really inexpensive airfares show up in the next two weeks)
o Uncertain on whether to run the Missoula Marathon (July 11th) ... maybe
o Signed up for some events in the Montana Senior Olympics ... (but no marathon there)

--> So, a revision of the training plan will take place
--> (Plus, the weather has been really quite poor and my running enthusiasm is low)

Another Quick Run ... Out and Back!

2010-05-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 21, 2010
It's hoped the quick runs can make me a little faster ... if only for a little while>

Today I just did a quick run down the road to Kelly Rae's and back. It was nothing too special. Just down the road and back again. I hope to be able to get just a little faster again by pressing harder on the short runs. It should help!

Mileage: 3.257 miles Time: 32:57

Against the Wind ... and ... Running with the Wind

2010-05-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 20, 2010
Going up the hill against the strong wind meant a return with the wind (as long as it didn't change ... sometimes it does)

A lot of wind blew through overnight. Today, some of that lingering wind continued to blow through for much of the day. When I went out for my run, it was up the hill and against the wind. Not always a favorite combination. It reminded me (of a song, of course) but also of a marathon I ran many years ago. I did a marathon called the Un-Boston marathon (probably in 1983 or so). It was on a repeating loop, flat, boring, and windy course that meant running against the wind for half of the repeating loop (four stinking 6+-milers!). Well, today was that kind of windy day. But the run up the hill actually wasn't too bad since most of the uphill section is sheltered by a combination of trees and embankments. I ran the uphill all of the way (slowly sometimes) and turned around at the gate like I have been doing for my repeating eight-milers. The run down was quite nice with a sunshine and cloud mix. During the last mile the wind helped push me down the last section of road and back to the ranch. It was a good run!

Mileage: 8.00 miles Time: 1:27:00

Changing the Target ... Changes the Workout

2010-05-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Instead of a June marathon, it looks like some Senior Olympics Events

Unless some exceptional "airfare wars" take place over the next month, my new plan is to do some events in the Senior Olympics around mid-June instead of running the marathon. As a result, I modified my already modified training plan (not officially, just in my mind so far) and in addition to the alternate run/bike plan, I added a shorter, but faster run to the training today.

This was just a quick out and back 2-miler! It wasn't actually all that quick, but I did the run just after returning from a 13 mile bike ride. It was a good run, and fit into the day quite well.

Mileage log: 2.0 miles Time: 20:50

Back out there Running ... No Rollover Today!

2010-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tip: When biking through a ditch, do not press with all your strength if you are in a low gear!

There was a little soreness in my system as I began my run today.

Yesterday's cross-training bike ride had a little event during the early part of the ride. There is a ditch to drift through just after crossing the highway. While going through it, I shifted down into the lowest gear so that I would be peddling easily as I climbed the bank. Well, I overdid the pressure and did a flip-over wheelie and ended up on my back with my feet still clipped into the pedals. Luckily, I was riding the Bike Friday (20" wheels and not very heavy - on second thought, that's probably why the wheelie happened, too) and, with a little help from Patti got back on the road again.

So, with some aches from the rollover, I started my eight miler today. It was a bit warm but a nice running temperature. Some clouds had developed after starting out totally clear earlier in the day. For some reason, the small GPS went a little crazy again and gave me credit for more miles than I actually was running (and a great best pace time, too) but that didn't count! The run was good though, and with some animals and old farm equipment to cheer me on, I did the out and up and return and down in good spirits!

Mileage: 8.00 -- Time: 1:28:30

Recovery was Quick ... No Stinky Run, Today!

2010-05-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 15, 2010
I did slow down though for a skunk crossing the road ahead of me

Another week begins and the training continues. Since I haven't been doing the single long run, I've had to break my training plan a bit and do back-to-back runs instead of the every-other-day routine outlined in the training plan. This bunches up 3 or 4 runs in a row for the end of one week and the beginning of the next. With the completion of today's run, I'll probably take a day off from running tomorrow. (Good thing, too, I've gotten pretty tired with the last couple of runs and actually went down for an afternoon nap the last two days).

Today was a repeat of the out, up, and back eight mile run beginning with the stretch up Batavia Lane to Sherman Road and up the road to a gate. Yesterday, most of this was a jog/walk combination resulting in the six miles I managed to complete taking as long as the usual full eight miles. I was able to run all of the way today (with the exception of the skunk slowdown) and finished the run in less than 90 minutes.

It was a totally clear day (during the run ... now it is cloudy as I write this) with light wind and mild temperatures (mid to upper 60's; actually kind of "hot" after running on much cooler days most of this spring).

Overall, the run was uneventful and I felt good during and after the run. (Just drop asleep tired later in the afternoon).

Mileage log: 8.253 miles ?? (GPS might have gotten ahead of itself on this one, but, I'll take it!) -- Time: 1:29:16 (no watch stopping for the skunk crossing)

A Flat during Cross Training Bike Ride ... Flat Run Followed

2010-05-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tired tire and Tired when Running, too

The morning cross training ride had already been cut short. Then, during the return part of the ride, my bike developed a flat. The only tube I had was for a 27" thin tire. Not a good match for my 26". Plus, the tire bead would not seat, etc. etc. Luckily, Patti rode back to the ranch and got the truck. So, end of bike ride with 10.5 miles out of a planned 16 or so.

Around the middle of the day, I decided to do my run for the day instead of doing lunch. That might have been a mistake since just about a mile into the run I just didn't feel like running anymore. I stopped for a short time to adjust a shoe/sock combination that seemed to be rubbing on my ankle. After the adjustment I continued jogging up the road. The plan was to do a repeat of the 8-mile runs. But, while trading off jog/walk combinations I decided to turn around just after the 3-mile mark when thunder was heard and I thought I'd just be running uphill into a rain/thunder event. The return trip was slow, too, with my body/mind system just not getting it together for much running. At least the cabin near Sherman Pond looked good, even though my running didn't!

It was just a flat tired training day!

Mileage log: 6.366 miles ... Time: NA - mostly walking so it was not important.

Warmer Weather and a Faster Run

2010-05-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 14, 2010
Trying to keep up on the training plan ... even without doing a long run ... it just means running more often!

o Running/jogging the whole way, except for the occasional photo
o Up the hill again to touch the gate
o Sunny and warmer conditions; actually beginning to sweat a little!
o Full eight up and back with good time

-- Mileage log : 8.00 (GPS lost signal for a bit) : Time: 1:25:00!

Late ... And Just another Eight -- A Fine Run

2010-05-13T20:20:00.001-07:00

Thursday, May 13, 2010
I am still out there every other day (or more) doing the run ... just not feeling the 'Eye of the Tiger' in doing a marathon, though

Mid afternoon start

o Batavia to Lupine Meadows gate ... and back down the road again
o Nothing special -- stop at a stump for a photo; chat with the Carrs
o Horse riders crossing the road as I returned to the ranch

-- Mileage log : 8.199 miles ... hard to tell the pace; since I chatted on the return run

Undecided on Race Plans but still doing Eights

2010-05-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Originally planning to run a marathon in Duluth in June ... may not ... Maybe I'll run the Missoula Marathon in early July, instead

Quick Bullets (Plus, Today about 8 gophers got the bullets, too)

o Doing the standard 8 - Batavia to Sherman touch the gate and back down the hill
o Sunny and warm as I ran the start of the route
o Cloudy and cool as I returned
o Trucks and cattle ... that was about it

-- Mileage Log : 8.00 miles in 1:27:21! Not bad!

Another Eight Just for the Run of It!

2010-05-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 9, 2010

It was already after noon before I started up Batavia Lane to Sherman Road. (Just a lazy Sunday morning before that and I wanted to run before eating lunch). The clouds were mixing it up in the sky with interesting weather in the area. The wind picked up and the air had some scattered rain in it as I headed up Sherman Road. I didn't actually run in any rainfall, but it was close, as the turnaround area was soaked when I finished the uphill climb. The return downhill was fairly fast, and I was on target for another round-trip in less than 90 minutes. However, as I got back to the blacktop a herd of horses at the Glazier Ranch were running and kicking up their heels. So I stopped for a couple of minutes while taking some photographs and video as they ran by and climbed the hills.

-- Mileage log : 8.199 -- 1:33:54

New Shoes ... Sunshine ... and a Good Quick Run

2010-05-07T16:51:00.001-07:00

Friday, May 7, 2010
Going up the hill for the third eight in a row

The forecast for this morning was for record low temperatures. That didn't quite happen with some overnight cloud cover. There was still some light frost on some surfaces, but not a record low. (Yesterday morning was actually a couple of degrees colder!)

At the time of the run today, there was a mix of clouds and sun. This was an improvement after the cloudy conditions of Wednesday and the rain and snow mix that took place during Monday's run). Today was mostly sunny with a nearly ideal running temperature.

The training course was a repeat of the run up Sherman Road to the Lupine Meadows gate. Maybe it was the new Nike shoes, maybe it was the favorable running conditions, or maybe I'm just getting in better condition. In any case, it was the best running time for the route with the 8.037 miles completed in 1:27:30! (No record setter. I once ran a half marathon in about the same amount of time; but, I was somewhat (much!?) younger then!)

Double Up on the Crazy 8 Runs

2010-05-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

(Second eight mile run) ... more to follow

-- Mileage log : 8.115 miles

Monday, May 3, 2010
Misty clouds, light rain, and steady rain; all in today's run

The weather did not look that good, right from the start, today. However, with not doing a long run for over a week, I decided I'd go out on one of my legacy training runs up Batavia Lane to Sherman Road and then up Sherman Road to the gate. This run has been my standard out, up, and back run for a couple of years. My normal training plan leveled out with the eight-miler being the base run once training had worked through 3-3's, 4-4's, 5-5's, etc. until finishing with 8 runs of 8 miles. (Usually with a day off somewhere, just to take a break). Once the 8-miler routine was completed, I'd normally modify the training routine slightly by doing 4 eight mile runs followed by increasingly longer runs for one day in the training week (10, 12, 14, etc.) until doing either 16 or 18 miles as the long run of the week. This year, with the modified alternating: running/biking plan, the runs have been somewhat different. In any case, this route became the crazy 8 run in my mind; since it seemed crazy to run 8 miles all the time; and, because the route loops through a couple of switch backs, almost feeling like running loops made up of 8's,

Today, it was cloudy with low clouds and mist when I started the run. Conditions did not improve, in fact, they deteriorated during the course of the course (of course) and steady rain was falling by the time I reached the turnaround gate. There was no decrease in the rainfall during the downhill return run either. Streams of running water flowed down the road with me as I did the three-mile downhill on the gravel road. The last mile on the blacktop was wet and shiny with the steady raindrops making small splash patterns on the roadway during the return to the ranch. When it was all said and done, I completed the run in pretty good time, actually breaking the hour-and-a-half time for the first time this year on the eight-miler!

It was nice to get back under a roof, though. And after a cool-down 10-minute spin on the indoor Nordic Cycle, I showered and put on warm sweats for a short afternoon nap!

-- Mileage log : 8.161 miles; Time 1:29:18

May Day Running ... Late, but on the Road Anyway

2010-05-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 1, 2010

For whatever the reason, it seemed to take until almost the end of the day today before I decided to lace on the running shoes and get out there. The day was quite a mix of sun and clouds. There were showers moving through the the area from time to time. So, with all of that going on, I almost was going to just forget about going for a run any time today. But, early in the evening, I decided to just get out there and run.

I headed down Batavia Lane and decided to turn on Managhan and head for the bike trail. Getting to the trail was a fine two mile run without much going on. While I was running on the trail, I noticed the hills to the north has some low clouds hanging over them. The run on the trail was for about an mile and a half with a turn toward the clouds and showers as I headed passed Parson's Tractor and up Marquardt Lane. This is the road with the stone castle next to it. Also, there are some large fields along the road that hold a combination of old farm equipment and cattle. Tonight, some of the cattle were close to the road and some of the young ones were hanging out in some of the machinery.

The threatening showers kind of split up as I ran the mile plus to get to Kienas Road. Over the south hills, the clouds billowed a bit as the showers passed by without getting me wet and the sun lit up the evening sky over the hills. It ended up being a good run (not particularly fast) but a good evening outing just the same. During the last section of the run, just before getting back to the ranch, the Longhorns watched as a jogged passed.

-- Mileage log : 6.842 miles

A Good Weather Day for doing the Hill Climb Eight Run

2010-04-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 30, 2010
Up the hill to fetch nothing except exercise

o Batavia to Sherman Road
o Up, up, up to the gate ... GPS showed 4027' at the top ... 3300' at the ranch
o No snow at the turnaround, but new snow on Blacktail Mountain and the west hills toward Ashley Lake
o Neighborly chat on the return run; good running except for that

-- Mileage log: 8.066 miles ... GPS showed 8.42 counting the return to the ranch and leading horses back from the grazing pastures

Weather changes and Whether to Run or Not?

2010-04-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 29, 2010
If things never changed nothing would ever happen!

The warm and even record temperatures of last week have given way to conditions that average everything out. Way too fast, it would seem! As a result, I have dropped out of my running/biking plan for the last few days. Cool temperatures, and intermittent light rain, along with some windy periods have kept me indoors for the most part.

Partial running summary (I'll have to check my logbook later)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Double GPS with a new device to check out ... weather resistant at that! Good thing!

I managed to horn in a run during light rain with a jog down Batavia Lane to Kienas Road and Marquardt Drive.
I ran passed 'castles in the rain' and crossed a couple of bridges in a six-plus miler. It was a nice short outing after the long run that I did on Sunday.

o Mileage log : 6.1 miles (both the GPS watch and Garmin 10 pretty much agreed on this)
o Walk/jog across neighboring farm and through the pastures
o Wet and cool

Sunday, April 25, 2010
Only eight months until Christmas ... shop/run until you drop (or walk)

Bullet points:

o Up and over the pass to Ashley Lake
o More walking/jogging than actually running!
o Views of the lake

o Nice temperature for the long trek
o Gathered more than 15 piles of 4-or-more cans or bottles

- Mileage log : Approximate 15.1 miles (GPS unit lost signal from time to time)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

I was just about ready to do a run around 4:00 P.M., but, the break from scattered showers looked like it was going away soon. So, I just made it to the top of the first turn; saw the hills to the west turning white with blowing rain (almost like snow); turned around and ran back to the ranch. While I was in changing from my running gear back to 'ranch clothes' a huge gust of wind swept through the fields and flipped over two of the horse shelters! It would not have been a pleasant run!

o Running log: 0.34 miles ... not really a run at all

Friday, April 23, 2010
Late day run to give a two day total of 14 miles... but it was worth the wait for the nice conditions

was my second running up Batavia to Sherman Road over the last couple of days. Yesterday the run was all of the way to the Lupine Meadows gate, today I turned around at the three mile mark. It was a good late afternoon run with nice temperatures and mostly clear sky conditions.

o Mileage log : 6.1 miles

Cool Down and Up the Hill I Ran

2010-04-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 22, 2010
After 2 days of record high temperatures cool running returned

Bullets

o Up Batavia to Sherman Road once more I go
o Able to run until after the 3 mile mark where the real hill climb begins
o Alternated jog/walk for the last uphill mile

o After about a 1000' increase since leaving the ranch, I turned around at the Lupine Meadows gate
o Still some snow near the turnaround at 4000'
o Good steady run down the gravel road and on to the last mile back to the start

-- Mileage log: 8.07 miles ... average pace 11:37 - best pace 6:24 (nice downhill stretch!)

Record Temperatures ... No Record Running Pace

2010-04-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Deciding to run late in the afternoon meant high temperature and low running speed

It was just the second full day of sunshine and it produced a record high temperature for NW Montana. Since I did a cross training bike ride just before lunch, I didn't get out for a run until later in the afternoon.

(Bullet Points)

o Sunny warm day
o Decided to run up Batavia Lane to Sherman Road
o Did some walking early on during the Sherman uphill jog
o Alternated run/walk for the last mile or so of the uphill to the turnaround

o Some pauses along the downhill on Sherman Road to photograph the Carr farm, farm animals, and "Oreo" the dog (first time that I have seen Oreo this year!)

o Ran/jogged most of the return trip until the last 1/2 mile or so
o Picked up cans during the last 1/2 mile

-- Gps quit for some time, but the log should be ~ 7.2 miles for the day

Six Days on the Road (Running), and I'm Gonna Get Home to Rest!

2010-04-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 18, 2010
Six Days on the Road (Running), and I'm Gonna Get Home to Rest!

Highlights of the last six days of training runs ...

o Since I took the 'Spring Break' from running last week and into early this week, I needed to string several days together instead of doing my run/bike alternating routine. Today made six days straight to get back in sync with my training plan.

o A good run up Batavia to Sherman Road
o Nice images of the farm above Glazier's
o Overview images looking toward Blacktail Mountain (still some snow there)
o Horses grazing at the original Glazier Ranch

o Good run with no walking (much better than some of the runs this week)

-- Mileage log: 6.233 miles

Saturday, April 17, 2010
Finishing some consecutive runs to end the week

Batavia to Managhan
o Managhan to trail
o Horse riders on trail (while I was on a walking break)
o Jog/Slog the rest of the way back to the ranch via Batavia ... slowly!

-- Mileage log 5.15

Friday, April 16, 2010
Down to the Castle, Trail, and Managhan Cans & Horse Talk

o Batavia to Kienas (Longhorns along Batavia)
o Kienas to Marquardt
o Marquardt to the trail
o Trail west to Managhan
o Walk/can pickup/small talk with horse friends

o Jog back up Batavia and through the pasture to chat with the horses

-- Running log total 6.63

Thursday, April 15, 2010
Running in Search of the last of Winter

o Up Batavia Lane passed Sherman and onward

o Onward after the blacktop ended
o Onward after passing Garrison Inn
(Some light snow still on the ground there)
o Onward until the Ashley Lake trail cutoff just after the crest
(Snowmelt runnoff there along the edge of the road)
o (umm, mostly walking from about 2.5 miles to the top of the hill
o Gathered some cans and bottles into piles (lots less than last year)
o Met a walker coming up the hill as I was going down
o Mostly running during the downhill

-- Mileage log 9.1 miles (estimated ... the GPS battery died just after 2 miles)

Just the Running Facts!

2010-04-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Just a short run: Fiver Loop

Kind of a cloudy, damp, and cool day with snow visible on the higher hills around the area. Not a very fast run since this was the second day back into running after a break in the routine. I have not been running on consecutive days (cross-training with biking, instead) so I didn't want to overdo the run today with another long run.

o Down Batavia Lane
o Right at the bike trail after crossing Highway 2
o A couple of creek crossings

o Right on Managhan
o Left on Batavia Lane and back to the ranch

o Some can pick-up during the last quarter mile (walk)

- Mile Log: 5.022

Run, Run, in the Snow and Rain, Dear

2010-04-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The allowed 'spring (non-running) break' expired today. I needed to get back 'on the road again' regardless of the conditions. It was snowing lightly beginning early in the morning and it appeared the condition would continue into the foreseeable future. If the temperature did increase slightly, the best that could be expected was a cold rain. So, with those environmental conditions in mind I needed to decide between running on the treadmill or running in the snow.

There were no large pellets of ice in the falling precipitation, and that seemed good. I did wear my clear-view/yellow lens safety glasses; at least for the first mile; at which point they were so covered with wet blotches that seeing through them was a non-starter. So, the run continued up the blacktop without the glasses. In a couple of places along the route, deer bounded over the meadow fence, crossed the road, and bounded over the fence on the opposite side. They looked at me as though to say, 'is that guy crazy!? the only reason we're out here is because we have to live in the woods!!', I didn't answer back, at least not loud enough that they could hear me; not through the wind and blowing snow, and rain, anyhow!

Six miles was the target for the run today. I didn't even think about running up the gravel road. It looked more like a sliding quicksand stream to me when I jogged passed the turnoff. I continued up the blacktop, totally refreshed as through in a nice cool shower (kind of, anyway, I was soaked).
I didn't see any other runners. I didn't see any other exercisers of any kind, in fact. That is, until just before the blacktop ended. There, I met a woman who was being walked by four black and white dogs (some kind of terriers, I think, maybe). She said they got kind of soaked, too. It looked like it! I felt better! Since it was not a terrific day for small talk the chat ended soon and I continued another few hundred yards to the end of the blacktop/white-top. There was enough snow accumulating at the higher elevation near the turnaround that the road turned to all snow just as the blacktop ended. I walked up another hundred yards or so to see how the gravel road was: pretty soft and muddy was the answer. So, at that point, I turned around and began the faster (but still wet) return to the ranch.

The distant tree lines were invisible in the continuing snow/rain mix.
As I passed a small group of horses, I noticed they were standing under the overhang of some evergreen trees to stay out of the snow. I could swear I saw their mouths moving as I jogged by, but I wasn't close enough to read their lips or hear what they were saying; I could only imagine that it was something like 'why are you out running in the snow and rain, dear?'; who knows? If they had been cows I would have known that they weren't actually talking, since cows chew their cud; these were horses though, so I knew they were talking about me!

Spring Break (from running) in NW Montana

2010-04-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday, April 8th -- Monday, April 12, 2010
A Pause in the Running Training Routine

Monday, April 12, 2010
.... Rest Day ....

Sunday, April 11, 2010
Mostly a day of rest and some time spent to process the images from yesterday ... Just a 4-mile bike late in the afternoon

Saturday, April 10, 2010
Scenes at Lake McDonald and Biking the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park

Also, see at facebook or at WeatherUnderground

Friday, April 9, 2010
Driving trip to Glacier National Park (no images taken as it was a blustery day and we didn't do much 'out of vehicle' hiking). Plus, a quick tour of Hungry Horse Dam

Hungry Horse Dam Video

Thursday, April 8, 2010
This should have been a running day ... but the snow squalls kept me looking out from the inside (Begin Spring Break!)

Changing Scene throughout the Day

Late Day Run after Waiting Out the Snow Squalls

2010-04-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I would have Run in the Snow Pellets to Avoid another Treadmill Workout

Bullets ... to be filled in later

o Morning cross-training bike ride (some wind and cold conditions)
o Sun/Cloud/Snow-squall mix all afternoon
o Considered not running at all ... just take a run-off day
o Out late afternoon between squalls
o Batavia to Sherman Road
o Up the wet sometimes muddy road for two miles
o Discussion with neighbors on return trip down the hill
o Good feeling pace on the last mile (best pace 7:34) Nice!

The Running Plan and Updated Log

2010-04-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

Monday, April 5, 2010
Cross Training Day ... And Catchup on the logs (Just the Facts, for now!)

The Running Plan (click image to enlarge)

The Running Log (click image to enlarge)

Sunday, April 4, 2010
No Rabbit Run ... More Like a Turtle! (on Easter Sunday)

Technical Run Highlights
o Up trail
o Danielson to Managhan
o Bike trail to Phanco Lane
o Phanco to Smith Lake Road
o Smith Lake Road to Whalebone Drive
o Whalebone Drive to Dern Road
o Trail back to Batavia Lane
o Batavia back to ranch

- Mixed sun/wind/clouds/cold at times
- Dead skeleton
- Buffalo Mountain Conrad Ranch (Check side story connections)
- Whalebone on Whalebone
- Skunk on Dern
- Some walking after 8 miles jog/walk combo
- Walk across pasture to greet horses

-- Mileage Log: 11.5 miles

--> Photos - Weather at start; Animals or not; Buffalo Mountain; Whalebone

Saturday, April 3, 2010
Is a Treadmill Truly a Dreadmill?

Technical Run Highlights
o Seemed like a good idea due to blustery weather
o Arena temp about 42, so dressed for outdoor running
o Wanted to do 6 miles so set the speed to 6.5 to get it done in under an hour
o Attempt without holding ended after 1 mile (in order to check heart rate)
o Mostly held on for my life for the remaining 5 miles
o Not likely to do more than an hour straight on this machine anytime soon ... would rather suffer the consequences of rain/sleet/snow and wind!
o Original workouts on the treadmill included 10-15 laps of arena in middle of the workout - I didn't do that this time - just did treadmill straight through. Mental note: The switch to running arena laps is a nice break from the treadmill straight through
o Pretty overheated after it was all said and done

-- Mileage Log: 6.0 miles

--> Photos: Treadmill stills

Thursday, April 1, 2010
Run a Good Run without the Slow Walk

Technical Run Highlights
o Trail to Danielson Road
o Danielson Road to Managhan Lane
o Managhan crossing Batavia to Kienas Road
o Kienas to a turnaround at the 3-mile barn

-- Mileage log: 6.1 miles

Photos --> Valley view to Swan Range
--> View to Blacktail Mountain from Kienas
--> Turnaround Barn

Routine Running Routes Return

2010-03-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

After the long run outing of a couple of days ago, it was back into a routine running route mode today. The ongoing truck traffic was rolling bright and early today. And, even with a wild weather day that started with snow pellets turning into just snow, the 18+ wheelers continued to take up the main road. The decision to do a 'routine running route' today was therefore, pretty easy: "The Woods Trail" to somewhere that would add up to a six-miler. I had just done the Summit run last, last week, so I ran down the Danielson down-hill instead of going uphill to the Summit summit. It was quite nice with the wind at my back and sunshine off-and-on on my face. Last week, one of the alternate day bike rides had taken us (my wife bikes with me ... she isn't crazy enough to train for and run marathons, though) was down to the bike trail and taking a road that intersects with the trail to do a loop of Smith Lake on Smith Lake Road (of all names). The biking loop was actually between fifteen and sixteen miles. Since I only needed a six-miler to fill my log ticket for today, I knew I wouldn't run the full route and decided to just head out toward Smith Lake Road and turnaround when I reached the six-miler mid-point.
Shortly after I got to the bike trail, I jogged passed the new fire station. As I ran on, the increasing tailwind and decreasing sunlight on my face, should have been a clue for me, but no, it was the turnaround that brought the nasty reality slap. The hills and mountains to the south and west and all of the directions I needed to go to head back to the ranch were all pretty much obscured by a suspicious white cloudiness that was definitely not warm sunlight. Small white pellets were bouncing off of my sunglasses (like I needed them as protection from too bright a condition anymore). But, I did need the safety glasses in any case! Luckily, I was wearing a windbreaker and hadn't dashed away from the mostly sunny ranch wearing just a singlet today! I pulled the sleeves of the windbreaker down as far over my hands as I could pull them. It was still pretty cold. It was also a bit disconcerting to look to the north and east and see sunlight on the hills north of my usual main running road (an option I might have selected if the trucks would not have been rolling today!). Gusts of wind along with bursts of snow pellets continued until I was heading into the last stretch of Managhan Lane. Finally, the pellets stopped (but the wind did not) as I finished the 'home stretch' on Danielson Road. I planned to end the run just at the bottom of the hill as I did a week or so ago when I returned on this route. And, like that trek, I hiked in through the neighboring farm. There was a machine there I had taken s picture of last time that I wanted to see again. The sun had returned as a welcome replacement to the snow pellets. Also, since the farm is close to the woods, the wind was not as apparent.
I decided to walk through the unoccupied farm and take some photographs of the buildings that have often been in my 'daily walk' photos. There was also some additional farm equipment that I took pictures of. It was both interesting, and sad, to see what can happen to a farm when the live beings are not longer around to take care of it. I even found a dead animal among the buildings and equipment. I walked the rest of the way back to the ranch, thankful for my live being status and for the opportunity I have to care my ranch.

Oh, and let the running log show a good routine run route six-miler (if somewhat cold at times).

Hills in All Directions ... Up and Down I Run (or Walk)

2010-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 28, 2010
High Ho, High Ho ... Over the Hill I Go!

At least one run a week now is a break from the standard run of the week and is the longest run. Today, my training plan called for a ten-miler. I haven't been up and over the pass toward Ashley Lake since last year's training runs. So, today, it was up Batavia Lane / Ashley Lake Road route over the pass (about a 1000' elevation change). As has been the case for most of my runs this year, I did some walking for the uphill sections.
I almost felt like drafting a couple of horses to help me while I was climbing the hill. During the run, and especially during the walking portions I noticed there were fewer cans and bottles along the road than were around last year (I picked up 8 bags full last year). I did gather up some into a couple of three-per-pile groups for a possible later gathering.
Something new on this route since last year was a new access road going up into the wood. I might have to try that on a later run. I alternated walking and jogging as I crossed over the pass just after the Garrison Inn.

The downhill road in the areas just after the pass gave the first views this year of still frozen Ashley Lake.

I ran a downhill section after the pass until a turnaround point where some underground power junction has some boxes along the side of the road. After the turnaround, I walked for some of the uphill back to the pass. After that, it was a good run all of the way down the hills and back to the ranch.
(With just a quick stop to say hello to and take a picture of Pepper. Let the running log show a good 10.46 miler completed!

Friday, March 26, 2010
Again, Running for the summit, through the Summit Gate

Running out and back routes always means there is some uphill and downhill during the run, but when the run is over, all is in balance.
Today's run started with a walk up the woods trail as part of a dog walk. Patti and the dogs continued on the woods upper trail, while I headed out on the Dawson Trail road. I was undecided on the miles I wanted to run, so I just turned on Danielson Road to head out on the Summit route. Just after I completed the first mile, I stopped and talked to a neighbor at her place for a few minutes. After the chat I continued running up the road. This is when I decided to just do a five mile total. I stopped again, just briefly, to photograph some more old farm equipment that is along the road.
With all of the rest stops over for this training run I continued through the Summit Prep gates and up the hill. I did walk some on the uphill but with the extra rest stops I had taken, I decided to extend my mileage a bit further at the "T" where I had turned around on my previous trip up this route. It was high enough in this area that the road was wet with melting snow along the road. I turned around without quite going to the summit again. Just as I turned around I noticed a rock ridge to the north, not far from the road. Since I didn't want to take the time for exploring today,the rock ledge will be something to hike to during a later summit run. The run down the hill was without any rest or photo opportunity stops.

The running log for the day was just over five miles. It was another nicely balanced training run.

Group a Couple of Runs to Average things Out

2010-03-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A Sunny and Cool Standard Six-Miler Stint

I decided to brave the truck traffic and head up the blacktop to Sherman Road. It was just a mile on the blacktop, and during that time eight trucks went by (during about 12 minutes of time). I only had to take to the ditch once as most of the time the drivers move over for me. It is just when there are vehicles in both directions at the same point that some problems arise. The turn onto Sherman Road was a welcome one.Today, I was early enough that the gravel was quite firm with frost. Plus, a bit of drying is taking place and I did not have to run with four-pound mud shoes during the 4-miles on the gravel. It was a good run up and down the hill with just an occasional slow down for photo opportunities. Carr's calves, were all lying in one location along the road, so they scored another photo today. Also, one of the mailboxes caught my attention and merited a click. All was well back down the blacktop with no truck VS truck or truck VS runner problems for the blacktop-mile back to the ranch.

Monday, March 22, 2010
How Far Can You Run when your Battery Dies?

Even before I got out on the road, I was beginning to think this was a medieval kind of day (I should probably have done the Castle Route again today!). I felt like I was a drag-on. Back into the work week, so, the semi-gravel trucks were running on the main road. Avoidance of conflict in my mind, I decided to go up the trail hill to do the back-roads run. I went down the Danielson Road hill and took Managhan to Highway 2. After crossing the highway, I headed west, young man or not! (Not!). Weather-wise, today was a mixed weather day, too. Some sun, but not much. As I ran down on the bike trail, snow showers and virga streams lined the hills in all directions. The run/jog continued on as I was planning to do a six-miler for today. At about 2.5 miles on the GPS the signal was dropped when the battery died. I then decided just to keep heading out the bike trail until the Cottage Inn restaurant near Kila.

It looked a lot closer than it was, and when I turned around, my trip timer showed more than 50 minutes had already expired. (A six miler should take only about 70 to 75 minutes, even on a slow day). But, it looked like I was going to be doing a longer run for today. Granted, since I was feeling tired I did a mix of jogging and walking. On the way back, instead of climbing the hill on Danielson Road, I decided to cut through a farm at the bottom of the hill. This farm has not had anyone working it for the last couple of years (since the owner died). It is interesting what you can see when crossing unfamiliar ground. I came across this machine and wonder what it did when it worked. (I couldn't tell what it was, but it was quite and interesting looking collection of gears and such). I finished the run/jog/walk by crossing through the fence between the old farm and the ranch and walked across the winter pasture back home. In summary ... It was a fair run/walk combo. Just a little slow. I would estimate the total was actually 7.5 miles. (I'll have to measure it on another outing).

Spring into a Run and Make it an Eight!

2010-03-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 20, 2010

It took a while to get into the running frame of mind today. And so, by the time I started, it was already Spring (11:32 MDT today, I think). I did not feel much like running and actually walked the first 100 yards or so as I started up the hill. I am trying to stick with my training plan, and that called for an 8-mile run, either today or tomorrow. Since I didn't want to count on the weather being as nice tomorrow as it was today, I decided to 'go for the eight'!). After having trucks running up the blacktop for most of the week, today, the highway was quiet, so up the blacktop I went! I have a 'standard' route that I know is pretty close to 8 miles, so that was the plan today. This meant the first mile would be on the tar and then uphill for three miles to the Lupine Meadows gate. Since the overnight temperature had gone down to the middle teens, the gravel road was still pretty nicely frozen for the uphill run. The elevation change for this run is almost 1000 feet, and most of it is during the three mile gravel uphill climb. I managed to run/jog most of the way until the three plus mile mark. I walked and jogged alternately for the last mile up the hill. The temperature at the gate was probably about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the rest of the route. Snow was still fairly deep along the sides of the road and the last half mile or so doesn't get much direct sunlight until during the afternoon.

After the turnaround at the gate, I ran the downhill section until the Carr ranch. There, I talked with Mr. Carr for a bit of time to catch up on the events of the winter. After the chat, I continued the run down the hill and back to the ranch. I did notice that someone must have done a 'can pickup' since the last time I ran the last mile. (I only noticed about 10-15 cans and bottles during the last mile this time, whereas, last run I counted 76). Way to go can pickers! And, after all was said and done, I can add the first 8-miler to my marathon training logbook for this season!

A Run Up the Hill almost to the Summit

2010-03-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday, March 18, 2010

A mixed cloud and sun day with nice temperatures for a run to The Summit. (And, almost to the summit of the hill, too: I turned around at the 2.5 mile mark, so I didn't quite reach the top of the hill). The trucks continue to run up and down the blacktop, and I am tired of jumping off the road into the ditch every couple of minutes. So, today, I headed up the trail to the back roads that lead to The Summit. Like most of the roads in this area, the route today was a rolling combination of hills.

It was primarily uphill on the way to 'The Summit' (go figure?) and I walked about three-fourths of a mile during the steepest part of the hill climb.

Seems like the years of running are slowing down the hill climbing equipment! Thankfully, like many of the routes that are uphill on the way out, it makes for a nice downhill return trip.

The ice was gone from Dawson Trail, but the woods trail still has a good amount of packed snow and ice on it. I finished with a slow jog through the woods and down the trail back to the ranch. Check another 5-miler off of the training plan.

2010 Training Log (as of March 18, 2010)

The Creek is Running and so am I

2010-03-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The trucks continue to run up and down Batavia, and I did too, today. I wanted to just do a standard 5-miler, and the easiest way of doing that was by heading down to the bike trail and doing the Batavia to Trail to Managhan Lane, loop. For the most part, the truck drivers are pretty conscious of me as I run. Today, as one truck was coming up the road toward me and another was coming down behind me, the truck coming up the hill actually slowed to nearly a stop. I had jogged off of the blacktop into the ditch to clear the roadway, but, it was nice to see that the driver had actually noticed me, too. The run was fairly good ... just a little slow. I crossed the Ashley Creek bridges, and the water going under seemed a little slow too. This time of year, just as the snow is/has melted, the creek would normally be running fast and deep. Less snow-pack and the overall dryness of the late winter is resulting in a low flow in most creeks and rivers. It would be nice to get some rainfall (as long as it falls on the days when I don't have a run planned!) As I finished my run today, my wife was jogging down to meet me. It was a nice way to end a run!

A Run in the Sun is Fun and Cool

2010-03-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 14, 2010
The sky was clear through the night and all day today. It stayed somewhat cool but it was just right for the running workout. Today, I headed for the Kienas route again. The clear sky gave great views northeast to the peaks of Glacier National Park. This is already the third time up that road, but, the other two were during the 4-milers. Today was a six-miler. This meant new territory for the third mile of the run. At the previous turnaround point, the road curves to the left and changes from blacktop to gravel.
With the drying conditions of the last week or so, the road was dry and a good running route. Like the rest of Kienas Road, this section is a rolling variety with a strong uphill at the new turnaround point. (I'll get to give that a try when the daily run distance increases again!). The return run was good with the longest parts of it being downhill running! Chalk up the first six-miler for this training season!

Castles, and Drag-on Running Days

2010-03-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March, 13, 2010
Chores and assorted tasks kept me from doing the run until during the middle afternoon. In addition, the sand trucks had been running for most of the day and made a run on the blacktop a little crowded. When I finally hit the road, at just after 3 PM, the trucks had quit for the day. I decided to run down to Kienas Road and modify my route again by running the 'Castle View' route to the trail. This is a rolling hill stretch of gravel road between Kienas Road and Highway 2 (it is also known as Marquardt Lane). The Castle View name comes from a stone castle that is along the road.

This is quite an interesting structure and I need to find out more about it. Apparently, it was built stone by stone and by appearance, with no real architectural plan. (Someday, I would like an on-site tour of the castle. I think it would be extremely interesting to see what it is like "close-up"). Today, I just jogged by it and took some photos in the process. The run/jog/walk today turned out to be a bit tiring for me (even though it was less than the 5-miler I had on my training plan). I walked portions of it during the last couple of miles. Overall, it was a good training day. Today, I also needed to fill in some of my workout plan with an indoor biking session and some sit-ups and push-ups. I guess that was why I was a bit tired during the run. But, after it was all done, I felt good in that I have kept pretty close to my training routine.

Run to the Trail and Back to the Longhorn(s)

2010-03-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

Thursday, March 11, 2010
I decided to do a downhill start today so I headed down the road to the bike trail. This was the same route that I biked a few days ago. Today, it was mostly cloudy and still somewhat cool after an overnight low in the teens. No snow to deal with, though, and I didn't need the stabilicers since the route was all blacktop and no ice expected. Overall, the run was pretty uneventful. This particular five-mile course is probably one of the easiest with respect to climbs, with just some rolling hills. Also, late last summer, the trail was upgraded to add a couple of bridges over Ashley Creek. Now, with the bridges in place, it is no longer necessary to leave the trail and run on the main highway (Highway 2) and that makes the route a little safer. Although the route is not a true "loop", it is pretty close to a loop with just a repeat of about three-fourths of a mile for the course. Interestingly, during the last part of the run, some Longhorns showed up along the road.

I did not see them when I had run down the road just about an hour earlier. Or did I have 'blinders' on? Hmmm, I'm not sure! It turned out to be a fine day for a run!

Run Up the Hill into the Snow and Clouds

2010-03-09T20:24:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The snow that fell overnight and during part of the morning did not stop my planned road run today. Although I had thought about switching to the treadmill, since the road was only wet, and not snow covered or slippery, up the hill I went early this afternoon. Today, the plan was to do another five-miler, so it was the farthest run up the Batavia hill toward Ashley Lake that I've done this year. There were still some low clouds drifting along the west hills as I turned up the first hill and turn combination. The trucks weren't running on the road today (maybe because of the snow and wetness) so the run up Batavia seemed like a good idea. There was a bit of slimy mud along the road at the sandpit that has been the destination of the usual truck traffic. Most of the uphill run was fine, but, I did walk the last 1/2 mile or so before the turnaround. That particular section is a fairly steep uphill and even walking it was a good workout.

Just before the turnaround, a gaggle of turkeys laughed at me because I wimped out and needed to walk. But, it was probably a good thing since just at the turnaround a couple of deer bounded over the road. If I had been running too fast, I might not have been able to stop and could have run into them (yeah, right! ... but, it seemed like a good excuse for walking!). The run down the hill was a lot easier than the uphill jog. The run ended, as it started, with continuing clouds and even some light snow/rain mix from time to time.

Add a Mile ... So now that Makes Five

2010-03-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

Sunday, March 7, 2010
The number of training runs are starting to add up, and slowly increasing is the distance. Today I decided to duplicate yesterday's run up Sherman Road, with just a little additional distance. Since the things to see during the first two miles did not change, I needed to look for things in that extra one-half mile. Just after the 2-mile mark, a broken tree caught my eye.

As I continued up the road, there is another farm along the new section I ran today. And on that farm they had some calves! (eee-yi-eee-yi-ooo)!

It was another clear and dry day (again, except for the road surface) and I had a nice run! On the way back, I decided it was time to do a visual count of the bottles and cans along the last mile. As usual, this is a little disappointing to see, and during my later runs I will carry a bag to collect what I am able to carry. Today, I counted 76 bottles and cans within that last mile ... pretty sad!

Run in the Sun for Fun and Training

2010-03-06T16:01:00.001-08:00

Saturday, March 6, 2010
The days are continuing with clear sky and dry weather. This does not necessarily mean the running route is dry, especially when taking to the gravel roads. Today was one such day. It was up the hill to what has been one of my most common running routes: Sherman Road. The gravel run begins just after the one-mile mark on the Sherman runs. Most of the run out to the turnaround is uphill. The road has a couple of farms, ranches, and homes along the route. One of my favorite places is the old barn and outbuildings just about a mile up the road.

Another, is a farm and cabin complex just beyond the small water area I call 'Sherman Pond'. During today's run in the sun I took photos of both of those places. Sherman curves around a bit as the climb continues above the 2-mile mark. But, that will be for another run. As for today, it was a good (if somewhat muddy) run just for a mile. That, added to the mile of black-top and the return run, met my target for the 4-miler today. It was a good run (with no walking)!

Run, Run, Run, Run - Four Times More

2010-03-04T20:17:00.001-08:00

Thursday, March 4, 2010
There was some light rain overnight, but it ended early in the day leaving just a cloudy and somewhat cool (but above normal temperature) running day. The trucks continue to run their way up and down my major running route. So, I decided to just run the short block or so on Batavia and headed up the Boorman Road hill. I've walked the route before (not as far as I ran today) and even walking, the hill is a pretty good challenge. (I'll need to take my Brunton elevation recorder next time to plot the elevation change, but, even without it, you can take my word that it's a good hill workout!)

I managed to run until about the mile-and-a-half point and decided to walk the rest of the way up the hill. Since I hadn't gone all of the way up "Spring Mountain" before, I wasn't sure how long the uphill route would be. I wanted to do at least a 4-mile outing and as it turned out, the "Boorman Loop" turnaround was at the 1.8 mile mark. There were some great views from the 'top of the mountain' and the downhill made the return a lot easier than the uphill run/walk had been.

There is a branch in the uphill road just where the "Spring Hill" subdivision begins and I decided to get the needed extra quarter mile or so by taking the second road branch and see where that would go (or at least to do the distance I wanted to do for today). I turned around just after an 'old wagon' display along the road. This really turned out to be an interesting running route! My GPS mileage showed I'd get my running target so I turned around for the second time while on this run and headed back down the hill again. The downhill took me past the EMU Farm and back down the road to the ranch. During the return run, the clouds were beginning to break and making for a sunny afternoon at the ranch!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Today was a cloudy cool, in fact, almost cold kind of day. But, it was a scheduled day to do a run. The trucks continue to run up and down the main road. Because of that I decided to do my run after walking up the snow route to Dawson Trail. The trail is the normal daily dog-walk / snowshoe trek up the west hill and then continuing on a woods trail until another uphill section that leads to a gate in the upper southwest corner of the ranch property. I put stablicers™ on my running shoes to keep from slipping on the packed ice. Both the trail, and the top section of the road after leaving the trail, are packed ice yet. So, I wore the 'icers'™ for the first three-fourths of a mile or so. After the icy section, the road has a fairly sharp turn and steep downhill section. Great for the outward bound run ... not so easy on the return jog (or walk, like I did today).
I ran down the gravel roads (Dawson Trail becomes Danielson Road near the top of the hill) and went right when I got to Managhan Road. This blacktop road is slightly rolling and spans the mile plus distance between Batavia Lane and Highway 2. Today, I chose to cross Highway 2 when I got there and ran on the bike trail to complete the distance I wanted before the turnaround point.
I ran a bit of extra distance on the trail since I already had it in my mind to begin walking at the bottom of the hill on my return. (I'll save the leg burning hill climb 'runs' for a bit later during my training program!) Today, as I returned to the 'ice road' I put the stablicers back on. But, instead of going to the original trail gate, I decided to go back into the ranch property through the southeast corner instead. This goes through a section of woods that actually seemed somewhat foreign to me today. Even through I have walked that trail into the ranch a number of times in the past. It's been a couple of years and the fallen trees and various brush piles had modified the appearance of the area since my last hike through. I returned the rest of the way to the ranch along the upper trail outside of pasture four. Like the road and the other hiking trail, this section was packed ice and not suitable for running at this time. It was a good outing, but I felt more tired than usual (maybe due to the hill climbs and icy conditions).

Sunday, February 28, 2010

It was bright and sunny today, so, I decided to repeat the run down Batavia to Kienas Road. Both Blacktail Mountain ski area (to the south) and the peaks of Glacier National Park (to the northeast) were clearly visible today. There was just a bit of haze in the air, but otherwise clear blue sky was the order of the day. I only went to the same turnaround point that I used a couple of days ago for the 4-miler training run. The only walking section I did today was when a dog's owner (Katie ... owner of Red) came out to the road to fetch the dog. Another runner had just passed me while doing the downhill return run down Kienas. He said the dog at that farm was a 'back-biter'. I decided to hang back after he ran by (blew my socks off, anyway) when I saw someone coming out from the farm.
After some quick greetings, I continued my run back to Batavia and up the road to the ranch. It was a good four mile outing. Since I thought this was the starting 'Sunday' of my training plan, I actually did back to back runs since I had done another 4-miler yesterday.

Saturday, February 27, 2010
Today was a cloudy and cool day that had some clouds hanging around the edges of the hills. No trucks were running up and down Batavia, so, I decided to make that my running route. Two choices exist, running downhill at the start and finishing with an uphill run, or, as would be expected, running uphill at the beginning of the run, doing a turnaround, and returning with all downhill running. Today, I chose to do the uphill first!
It was a relatively quiet day on the road. Just some local traffic pulling snowmobiles going up the mountain (or big hill) to Ashley Lake (about 1000' higher than the ranch, so still some good snow trails there). There were also some folks coming down the hill. Probably to do the weekly shopping trip or run some errands in town. I didn't quite make it to the cloud layer, that would have added another mile out and back to my run. The six milers will start soon enough and so today I settled for the turnaround at the two mile point and enjoyed the comparatively fast run down the hill back home.

February Summary -- Quick Short Month

2010-03-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

Well, another month has come and gone quite quickly. This is a summary of February as I saw it at the ranch. Kind of a mellow month as winter months go, and each day shows the approaching spring.

February 2010 (Slide Show)

Sunday, February 28, 2010
Clear overnight followed by a sunny dry day (well, actually, it was wet where the snow is melting and the water running).

Sunny Morning view from the Deck

Saturday, February 27, 2010
Clouds overnight resulted in just a little light snow overnight (0.1" ... VERY little). This quickly disappeared as the temperature rose during the morning and throughout the day. Some sunlight showed up during the early afternoon walk with the dogs. The sky cleared late in the day and clear conditions may again result in the low going to the middle twenty degree range.

Ginger in Sunlight during Today's Walk

Friday, February 26, 2010
Mostly clear conditions overnight helped to push the overnight low to just below twenty degrees. Partly cloudy sky conditioned during most of the day and resulted in a good warm-up. Good thing, too. The packed snow has formed ice in the corrals, and today one of the horses managed to "cast" himself against a fence and couldn't stand up on the ice without help (oops, no images taken ... too busy getting him back on his feet). After adding some stall footing for traction and removing the fence rails, he got up and appears to be fine. (Just kind of tired after lying there for an hour or so and trying to get up before we saw him). After that event, all was well and the day continued with the sun cloud mix we see on many of these late winter days.

Morning Merge of Paddock Sunshine at Shelter

Thursday, February 25, 2010
A good mix of weather in NW Montana today. The first animal check just before sunrise was with snow pellets on the ground from a little overnight activity. The sky was mostly cloudy for the morning with a cooling rainfall during my run today. An early afternoon walk started in sunshine enough that I debated going back for sunglasses but ended 25 minutes later with a light rain falling! Later in the day, I took a trip down into the valley and it was spectacular mix of sun and clouds with a combination of rain and snow going on around the edges of the valley. The evening sky cleared and is likely to give us a low in the low 20's again tonight. South facing hills are continuing to lose the snow day by day.

Sun Cloud Mix around the Area Today (Slide Show)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A change in the conditions today with mostly cloudy sky starting the day and hanging around for the duration. There was just a light snow flurry or two in the air but nothing measurable (I wouldn't even call it a "trace" just a flake or two in the air). During the afternoon, I gathered some of the winter baling twine and other debris and held the first barrel fire event for the year. Late in the day, as the sun was setting, there was a bit of color in the sky to the east (but not photographed). The last animal check had a mix of clouds, stars and the growing moon lighting the way back to the house.

Fire in the Barrel

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Clear sky overnight again resulted in temperatures nearing the single digits. Frosty buildings today as the sun shine again works on the south facing slopes to bring the snow line down the hill. The paddock snow is packed and icy from daily horse activity. General snow conditions are quite light with probably 4-5" in level areas. The outer pasture might still have 8" or so, but it is old snow and could disappear quickly with a couple of days above freezing.

Walking the Line in Mid-day Sunshine

Monday, February 22, 2010
Mostly clear conditions overnight. There were some clouds early in the morning, but the rest of the day was almost totally clear. This can be a good thing, except, during the winter it means that overnight it can be a bit cool. The sun of the day is still not quite enough to melt away all of the snow. However, it has melted along the house and Taffy decided to decorate the flower box while watching over the ranch late today.

Taffy in the Window Flower Box

Sunday, February 21, 2010
Totally clear overnight. Totally cold this morning. But, day by day, the snow line is moving down the hill. The deer are beginning to gather on the hill above the ranch. Spring cannot be far away.

North Hill Deer are Returning

Saturday, February 20, 2010
A mix of overnight clouds gave way to mostly sunny conditions for today. It was somewhat cooler than the last few days but the sun made it quite a nice day.

Sunny View from the Deck Today

Friday, February 19, 2010
Blue sky and sunny conditions existed for most of the day today. This led to a little horsing around in the background, too. The late afternoon had some clouds but they gave way late in the day to allow the stars to shine through once again.

Blue Sky with background Horsing Around

Thursday, February 18, 2010
Overnight appeared to have been a continuation of the cloud mix from yesterday. This morning, the clouds broke apart allowing mostly sunny conditions until mid afternoon. The mostly cloudy conditions that developed during the early afternoon continued throughout the rest of the day. But just after the time of sunset (not seen, since it was cloudy yet) the clouds broke-up again and will result in colder overnight temperatures to repeat.

Mostly Sunny Panorama Just after Noon

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The stars were shining overnight and the morning started with broken clouds and sun mixed together. Most of the day was sunny with an amazing mix of clouds in the area.

Away from the ranch from time to time now, as the outdoor running sessions have begun.

Clouds with Sunrise Pending

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Cloudy day today with some rain around mid-day. The clouds remained all day with fog banks hanging just above the tree line again while the higher hills still peeked through.

Fog with Hills Peeking Through

Monday, February 15, 2010
The cycle of light overnight snowfall followed by warm conditions resulted in a return of some fog this morning. Although the sun tried to break through, mostly cloudy conditions continued for the day. There were lines of low clouds just above the tree line, but still allowing the hilltops to show.

Morning Sun tries to Burn through the Fog

Sunday, February 14, 2010
The day began with the red of the sun coloring the sky and clouds. Some of those clouds parted from time to time to allow light sunlight along with a little warming of the air a bit more each day.

Morning Sky again Glows

Saturday, February 13, 2010
Clouds overnight and for most of the morning today. Some breaks in the cloudiness during the mid-afternoon. Continued above normal temperatures for this time of year.

Corner View at the Paddock Fence

Friday, February 12, 2010
About an inch of wet snow overnight. This lined the tree branches nicely but did not stay very long as the temperature warmed, rising into the upper 30's. Fog developed as a result of the rapid snow melt and almost hid the horses from view as they munched at lunch-time. Later in the afternoon, blue sky and sunshine returned. (See a slide show video of the changes at the ranch that took place today...Click to go to YouTube video).

Mid-day Fog Hides the Horses

Thursday, February 11, 2010
There was just a little light snow overnight. The clouds that delivered the snow remained all day today. Temperatures continue to remain mild and the "mellow winter" made it through another quiet, if colorless, day.

View of the Ranch this Afternoon

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Mostly cloudy, again, but there was just a ray or two of sun during the afternoon today.

Some Shadows during light Afternoon Sun

Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Mostly cloudy with just a light scattering of snow today.

Just a Hint of Sun behind the Afternoon Clouds

Monday, February 08, 2010
Continuing with the cloudy conditions today. Pretty much the same all around with just a little rain to the north during the afternoon.

A Horse in the Woods

Sunday, February 07, 2010
Cloudy, with temperatures holding at mild values for this time of the year.

It was a Super Day for Resting on the Couch

Saturday, February 06, 2010
Light overnight snow and full cloud cover for the day again.

Walking the Line

Friday, February 05, 2010
Color in the sky to start the day today. The clouds persisted through the day continuing the mostly cloudy trend for this month.

Morning Glow

Thursday, February 04, 2010
Mostly foggy with clouds around the edges today.

Fog over the Ranch

Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Mostly cloudy with fog around the edges today.

Jonah with Fog around the Edges of the Pasture

Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Mostly cloudy, but with a scattering of sun during the early afternoon. Late afternoon saw increasing cloud cover along with periods of dense fog.

Animal Farm Images from Today (Click to go to facebook album)

Closest to Sunshine as it got Today

Monday, February 01, 2010
A light fluffing of snow overnight. Mostly cloudy conditions through the day.

Snow Branches Frame the Ranch

Train in the Rain for Run Number 5

2010-02-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 25, 2010

The overnight conditions dropped a few snow pellets across the area. I almost thought I would scrap the outdoor run and flip back to the tread-mill for today. But, the conditions improved enough by mid-morning; so, I strapped on my shoes and hit the road. Today, I again ventured into new territory, both for the year, and also, for the entire time I have been running training runs here in NW Montana. It seems amazing to realize that I have been running in the same general area for over five years, and, this was the first time I had run as far as I did north on Kienas Road. This road is just about a mile down the hill from the ranch. Managhan Lane is the road name at the intersection going to the south, and Kienas Road is the name given to the northbound road. The road was blacktop for the full distance I ran. It is flat for the first three-fourths of a mile or so followed by about a half-mile of uphill. Today, I just ran until my GPS mileage meter showed I had passed the 2-mile mark. It was where the road had gone slightly downhill again and was going to head around a sharp turn to the left. Since I'll be doing longer runs on this route in the future, I now look forward to seeing where the road will lead me. The return run started with some hints of sunlight to the south near the Blacktail Mountain ski area. But, by the time I got down the hill near Batavia Lane, it was raining. I continued the run the rest of the way back to the ranch and by the end was thoroughly soaked. But, it was a good run and after a quick change of clothes part of my training was done for the day!

Training Continues - Run No. 4

2010-02-23T20:56:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I am still continuing the routine of running every other day. The distance now is the 4-mile run. Today, in keeping with the new plan of varying the route, I ran down the road to Managhan Road and headed toward highway 2 from there. The turn-around showed 2.11 miles. I decided to go up Danielson Road instead of battling the sand hauling trucks that continue to take gravel/mix up and down Batavia Lane. During the trek up Danielson I cut back to just a walk while climbing a big hill. That turned into a try to keep my balance skate on a combination of ice and packed snow for the rest of the way back to the trail that leads to the ranch. It was a good outing -- just not very fast.

Training Run Number 3 - Up the Hill Again

2010-02-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The outing today was up the hill again to check out the condition of Sherman Road. Sherman is a gravel road and depending on the snow/melt and runoff conditions, it can be quite mushy. Today, it was cold enough that only some of the outer edges had a bit of softness. With light traffic up that road, I usually run in the lane or middle and only needed to run the edge when a truck was coming up the road. It was a good running day again with sunny conditions and good running temperature. Near the turnaround, the view was over frozen Sherman Pond to a small ranch near the lake.

On the Road Again ... I Can't Wait to Get on the Road Again!!

2010-02-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Well, after a false start a few weeks ago, I pulled it together today and went 'on the road again!'. This was my first official outdoor training run for 2010. So, marathon training began today with a 4-miler up the road in the direction of Ashley Lake. Nice temperatures, good road conditions with very little traffic, and the legs felt great! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Friday, February 19, 2010

I am doing a little different training plan this year. Last year, it was 3, 3, 3, off, 4, 4, 4, 4, off; etc. until I was doing five days of 8-milers or so. This year, I plan to do more cross-training using alternate days for running then bike training with push-ups, sit-ups and some weight work. Still indoor on the biking part until the outdoor temperature warms a bit. (Still struggling to get out of the 30's most days). Also, I plan to mix up my training routes somewhat. Today, I ran down the road to the biking trail.
(Interesting Montana collectibles scenery along the highway down by Kelley Rae's!) Clear sky did make views of Glacier Park to the northeast (look way over on the left side of the first image, to the left of the Swan Mountain Range...GNP is just barely visible) and Blacktail Mountain ski area to the south visible during the run, too.

Marathon Training Plan for 2010

January ... All at Once...It's Over!

2010-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

So quickly another month has passed. I was going to start my "marathon training" blog again, but, I had a false-start on the training and had to reset my plans after just two sessions (more on that when I get back into the routine). In the mean-time, the month of January has jogged by in record time. Here is a summary of what happened 'Day by Day in NW Montana'.

January 2010 (slide show)

Sunday, January 31, 2010
The light snow that began late yesterday continued off and on overnight and through the day today. It is again 'very white and bright' all around the ranch!

Dashing through the Snow...

Saturday, January 30, 2010
As the moon ended its trip across the sky early today, the clouds arrived. The mostly clear conditions overnight allowed the temperature to drop into the low teens. Without much sunlight today, the high hovered in the low 30's. Very light snow began to fall just as darkness arrived.

Playing with the Dogs on a Snowbank

Friday, January 29, 2010
Mostly clear conditions today with just a passing ripple of clouds in the early afternoon. The sun set and clear sky continued into the evening. It was a fine "nearly-full" moonrise.

Bright Sun and Snow Trail during Afternoon Walk

Thursday, January 28, 2010
After clear conditions for the early overnight hours, clouds moved in again. The clouds stayed all day. Temperatures rose through the 20's into the low 30 range.

Sun Lost behind Clouds Early Today

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Another day when clouds were the standard for most of the day. The temperatures remain "seasonal" to above normal. As a result, during the daily walk, Titan needs to roll in the snow to cool off. Late in the day, falling temperatures resulted in a decrease of the cloudiness and a starry evening appeared along with the growing moon.

Titan Rolling in the Snow to Cool Down

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Again, there was just a glimpse of the sun for the day around the beginning of the day. The day was mostly cloudy throughout the rest of the day but no snow or other precipitation fell. Temperatures continued to vary between 20 to 30 degrees which is nice for a January day in NW Montana!

Sunrise over the Box Elder Tree in the Winter

Monday, January 25, 2010
Light snow, with just a touch of sun, ruled the ranch today. This kept the temperature in the twenties once again as the winter continues.

Snow Falling and the Sun Attempts to Shine

Sunday, January 24, 2010
The clouds at sunrise provided a little color for the start of the day. Light snow flurries fell from time to time. Temperatures held in the twenties for the day's maximum.

Colored Morning Sky

Saturday, January 23, 2010
Periods of sun today after a few clouds overnight dropped just a light covering of snow.

Taffy, walking on the Snow during mid-day Sunlight

Friday, January 22, 2010
Some clearing overnight allowed the temperature to drop into the single digits. Temperatures rose quite nicely through the middle of the day. Clouds built up at that time and kept the normal quick cool-down from taking place.

Orpheus Walks out to Winter Pasture

Thursday, January 21, 2010
It was overcast this morning with just a bit of sun trying to break through around the edges. The temperature managed to creep out of the 20's to just the freezing point when the sun found a hole or two in the clouds during the afternoon.

Some Evening Sun Glow on Southeast Hills

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The clouds remained in place after the snow that fell late yesterday. As a result, the overnight temperature was steady and kept rising slightly as the day continued. There was some fog around, drifting through the hills during the morning. Mostly cloudy conditions ruled the day through late evening.

Harmony Hoping for Carrot Treats

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Clear overnight conditions disappeared with the arrival of daylight. Clouds persisted through most of the day and kept the temperature somewhat cool again. A project today included getting the wood burning stove hooked up in the arena. The clouds that hung on all day also decided to drop a light half-inch or so of snow late in the afternoon. Hopefully, that will reduce the iciness that resulted from the mild temperatures of the last few days.

Wood Burning Stove surrounded by Scaffolding

Monday, January 18, 2010
Today there was again some sunshine resulting in warming temperatures from mid-morning until just around noon. As yesterday, clouds returned in the early afternoon and resulted in a drop in the temperature to just around freezing by early evening. Cloud reduction soon after sunset took place and resulted in a quick cool-down. We might see single digit lows if the clear sky continues through the night.

Horses near the Upper Fence Line

Sunday, January 17, 2010
Variably cloudy conditions today allowed for some sunshine warming during mid-day into the early afternoon. Mostly cloudy sky returned by evening leveling the falling temperature at just around the freezing point.

Mid Day Lunch near the Old Barn

Saturday, January 16, 2010
Some light rain fell this morning as the temperature continued slowly falling from the high in the mid-40's that was reached late yesterday.

Fence Lines and Snow

Friday, January 15, 2010
Mostly cloudy conditions through the day today. Late in the evening some wind brought the warmest temperatures of the day as the thermometer climbed into the middle 40's. The depth of the snow continues to decrease, but Titan shows it still makes for a challenging walk in the snow.

Titan walking the Snow Trail

Thursday, January 14, 2010
The spring-like month continues with filtered sun and mild conditions for another day. The snow pack is starting to shrink in depth, but is still great for the daily hike through the woods trails.

Hiking up the Trail Hill

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Today began with the sun burning through some morning fog. The day was mostly sunny with mild temperatures once again. Late evening saw the return of some clouds to prevent a fast 'cool-down'.

Sunrise through Fog and Clouds at Morning Horse Feeding

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Light fog and colored clouds started the day today. Temperatures continued to be fairly mild for January with lows in to 20's to mid 30 highs for the range.

Morning Sky Colors looking up the Driveway

Monday, January 11, 2010
The clouds overnight fell closer to the ground during the early morning creating some fog in the area. Later in the day, the fog gravitated the rest of the way into the ground and allowed some brief periods of sunshine. The temperature hovered in the 20's and briefly touched 30.

Morning Fog as the Dogs Run Up the Driveway

Sunday, January 10, 2010
There was just a dusting of snow overnight. The clouds mostly hung around all day with slowly rising to steady temperatures for most of the day. Late in the day the clouds thinned somewhat and the temperature began to drop. The clearer it gets, the colder it gets. So, you can kind of watch when the clouds came and went by checking the ranch temperature graphs (how cool is that!)?

Along the Woods Fence Line

Saturday, January 9, 2010
Mostly cloudy conditions throughout the day today. The temperature slowly rose from just below zero overnight into the middle teens during the afternoon. The temperatures held throughout the evening as a warmer weather event moved into the area.

View through Trees during Snowshoe Hike

Friday, January 8, 2010
Some clouds drifted in overnight and resulted in a slight rise in the falling temperatures. The day was a mix of sun and clouds. By early evening, colder temperatures returned and the clouds thinned slightly just as the sunlight hours ended.

Going through the Gate

Thursday, January 7, 2010
Mostly clear conditions again today. The temperature managed to climb from an overnight low in the minus teens to just make it into double digits above zero. For, the day, the sky continued to be clear, weather conditions dry, and just a bit of light wind.

Clear Blue Sky over the Horses at Mid Day Feeding

Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Clear sky brought cold conditions to the area today. Temperatures seemed to have bottomed out in the middle single digits overnight, but, the continued clear sky late in the day erased that with double digit below zero here before 10 P.M.

View of the Ranch from the North Hill

Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Well, after a few days of fairly consistent conditions, a snow event that began late yesterday dropped about 9" of new snow on the area. This resulted in the plowing crews being somewhat active (with a snow-shoe hike squeezed in between the plowing and snow removal tasks). The horses were quite happy to return to the barn this evening as the wind picked up, and some additional snow began to fall (along with the temperature).

Snow Covered Fence to Old Barn

Monday, January 4, 2010
Light snow overnight and off and on during the day. Not much temperature variation, as the clouds and snow seemed to keep conditions steady throughout the day.

Walking the Trail during Light Snowfall

Sunday, January 3, 2010
Mostly cloudy conditions continue at the ranch. With the cloudy trend, the temperatures have been able stay quite mild.

Framed View to Neighboring Farm

Saturday, January 2, 2010
There were some breaks in the sky today that allowed for brief periods of sunshine. The temperature was mild enough to melt the recent snowfall from the trees and reduce the snow a bit more.

View through Trees to the Ranch

Friday, January 1, 2010
The year began with some additional light snow. With the continued cloudy conditions, the temperature rose above freezing and some of the new snow melted down just a bit.

View Across the Pasture to the Horses in the Distance

A Quick Catchup of December Events

2010-01-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

Well, December went by so fast I forgot to post anything for the entire month. There is something about the time period from the end of October until just after the beginning of the new year that causes the time to quickly pass by. I think it is because the days are shorter, so I end up doing less. It seems the number of hours available to accomplish tasks is the same as it is any other time of the year. But, because of the decreased hours of sunlight (at least in NW Montana) the time passes much more quickly.

In any case, this is a blog posting of the events that took place during December, 2009.

December 2009 (Slide Show)

Thursday, December 31, 2009
There was some additional light snowfall overnight to bring the total for the event to just 1.3". After some glimpses at the sky, returning clouds brought another light snowfall. The hope is for a glance at that "blue moon" tonight, but the forecast isn't favorable for this location.

Light Snow in the Trees and the Horses Grazing

Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The day provided just a bit of sunshine from time to time. This resulted in slightly warmer temperatures. Late in the afternoon, clouds returned to add just another light covering to the current 4" or so that blankets the area.

Horses Along the Fence Line during the Afternoon Walk

Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A very consistent (if boring) weather pattern continues in NW Montana. Mostly cloudy conditions. Very light snowfall. Temperatures staying just above the single digit values and failing to break out of the teens for another day. (Since all of the outdoor view have looked the same for the last couple of days, I decided to show the indoor scenes since Christmas).

Dog Tired during the Holidays

Monday, December 28, 2009
Clouds continue with just a very, very light floating of snow today. (Almost like there is white lint falling from the air).

Vincent (again) Resting in the Dog Bedroom

Sunday, December 27, 2009
The inversion overcast returned again today. As has been the pattern, overnight the sky was mostly clear and by daybreak, clouds dominated. Looking out over the treeline this afternoon, I could see just some brightness of sunlight, while everything was cloudy lower and here at the ranch.

Dog and Cat Nap

Saturday, December 26, 2009
Mostly cloudy returned for the day today, with just a bit of snow in the air, too. The trend seems to be repeating: Mostly clear overnight for a nice cool down, followed by clouds for most of the day. Repeat until the wind blows hard next spring and the loop changes. (Well, actually, almost any day the weather can change!)

Vincent

Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas to all! The clear sky the allowed the stars to shine brightly overnight became a gray high overcast by daylight. Light snow fell during the morning giving a peaceful quiet to Christmas day at the ranch.

Taffy and Titan hunt for Gifts under the Tree

Thursday, December 24, 2009
The clear sky hung on for most of the overnight period but clouds soon moved in during the first light, blocking the sunrise. Mostly cloudy conditions persisted through the day. However, the clouds began to break just as the sun was over the edge of the hill and tree line to the southwest; thus, setting the stage for another fine cool-down tonight.

Evening Sunlight Glow on the Distant Mountains

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The clouds departed overnight leaving just some lingering cloud formations at sunrise. With the departure of the overcast, so have gone the milder temperatures. As I write this the temperature has fallen from around 30 at sunrise to just below 20 degrees at 10:00 am. I think we had the max early today! ... Update: The varying temperatures rose again slightly during the early afternoon. The horses decided it was a great afternoon for splashing in the melting waterhole. However, clearing conditions later in the afternoon, and dryer air, resulted in the dip into single digit temperatures during the evening. A good cool-down is in store again for NW Montana.

Morning Reflections on the Creek

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
There was a break from the cloudiness and fog today as the sun managed to show beginning around mid morning. The temperature rose accordingly through the middle 30's and continued the snow melt process. Shortly after noon, clouds again moved into the area and the temperatures dropped before hitting 40 as the clouds took control.

Sunny Mid Day as the Box Elder Basks in Sun and Snow

Monday, December 21, 2009
Today was another day with cloudy sky, light rain, and some fog. The continued mild temperature is slowly melting the snow pack, leaving only about 5" on the ground.

Afternoon View Southeast with Light Fog over the Snow

Sunday, December 20, 2009
The melting of the snow over the past few days has resulted in a hanging of that moisture just above the ground and tree line today. Temperatures stayed at just around freezing for most the the overnight time period and continued to hold there for most of the day.

Fog Over the Treeline

Saturday, December 19, 2009
A cloudy day again today that just about duplicated yesterday. Temperatures were slightly above freezing again and made some of the packed snow trails a little icy. This afternoon's snowshoe trek included fetching a Christmas tree from the woods.

Bringing in the Christmas Tree

Friday, December 18, 2009
After all of the nice sunshine that took place yesterday, today returned to a mostly cloudy mode. It still managed to push above freezing and a little more snow melt took place, but the day had a cold feel to it from beginning to end.

View across the Paddocks late in the Afternoon

Thursday, December 17, 2009
Cloud cover overnight gave way to partly cloud conditions early in the day. The breakup of the clouds resulted in mostly sunny conditions through mid-day and into the afternoon. The snow pack slid from the remaining roofs today and the depth was reduced to just 7". Mild temperatures combined with the freshly melted snow is likely to result in foggy conditions tonight and tomorrow morning.

Mid Day View across the Pastures

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A light snowfall again took place overnight. The temperature had stayed mild through the night and rose enough during the day to change some falling snow into light rain. The milder temperature also caused snow to slide from some of the metal roofs. Late in the afternoon, some light fog was forming due to the melting of the snow that took place during the day.

Light Fog in the Distance Late this Afternoon

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Cloudy conditions through the night and into the day today made for a little more snow (1.8" counting an overnight snow that was followed up with an evening event). It was somewhat warmer today with the evening temperatures holding at near the maximum for the day. Some of the snow is beginning to lose its grip on the fence posts and rails.

Snow Hanging from the Hitching Rail Log

Monday, December 14, 2009
Just a little more brightness to the day today as the snow event has ended and the sun tried to break through to highlight the whiteness of the new snow. A total of 11.8" for the snow event. The cold air created a wonderful dry snow covering for the entire area.

Trees Along Upper Pasture Trail

Sunday, December 13, 2009
Cloudy and an additional light snowfall overnight. The total for this event (so far) is 10.0" of light fluffy snow (water equivalent was 0.62", so, pretty dry snow). This snow was just perfect for an afternoon snow-shoe trek around the ranch.

Snowshoeing the First Major Snowfall of the Season

Saturday, December 12, 2009
Clouds through the night kept the temperature above zero today (giving us a three-day streak!). Snow began falling during the mid morning and the forecast has it continuing through today and possibly tomorrow, too. This should finally provide an insulating layer for the ground. The last couple of days has seen the ground temperature (sensor at 15" deep) drop from the low 40's to nearly frozen conditions (33.4 this morning).

Horses Enjoy Lunch during the Snowfall

Friday, December 11, 2009
Mostly cloudy through the day today. This resulted in somewhat warmer temperatures but with just a trace of snow the air had a 'damp-coldness' to it that is not as noticeable when it is just cold and dry.

Feeding Carrots to the Horses during the Morning Walk

Thursday, December 10, 2009
Cloud cover overnight kept the temperature in the positive numbers. Along with the somewhat less cold air, some light snow managed to fall from the clouds. It continued as a not quite perfect three bears day; not too hot, not too cold ... but, maybe a stretch to call it "just right".

Color in the Evening Sky

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Clouds crept in late yesterday and resulted in slowly rising overnight temperatures (after a double-digit below zero evening). This also resulted in just a trace of snowfall (hardly enough to track a cat). The overcast conditions continued for most of the day as the temperature rose through the single digits and even made it into the positive double-digit range for part of the day.

Light Fog in Morning View of Neighboring Farm

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
It was clear from sunrise to sunset today. (Even before sunrise, too, I expect). This resulted in cold overnight temperatures. Even with full sunshine today the temperature remained cold all day. The cold will continue for a few more days. As I write this, the thermometer shows -12 degrees (at about 8:30 PM).

Neighboring Ranch during Mid-Day Walk

Monday, December 7, 2009
A mostly sunny day at the ranch today. The sunshine can deceive you into believing that it is quite nice out (and, actually, it was ... just a bit on the cool side). As cold conditions are likely for awhile, tonight the horses moved into the barn instead of staying outside overnight like they usually do.

Bright Sunshine during some Cold Weather Days

Sunday, December 6, 2009
A cool day today at the ranch. The day was a mix of mostly cloudy conditions (not that the sun provides much warming when the angle is such as it is lately (and will be for the next few weeks) along with some wind. However, as often happens, clearing took place early in the evening and has set the stage for a strong further cool-down tonight. Oh, and it as I mentioned, it was quite windy for most of the day today and that added to a general wintry feel to the entire day.

Passing Snow Flurries to the Southeast

Saturday, December 5, 2009
It has a winter-like feel about it today, after an overnight of light clouds that were still remaining when the snow of late yesterday ended. Not quite as cold overnight as yesterday, but still a definite "chill" in the air today. This caused Ginger to put on her coat (if you can see it, or her) for the morning walk. Since the house was a little cool, too, Ginger kept her coat on after the walk was over. Later in the day, the wind increased during the afternoon, and the forecast is for a real cool-down during the next couple of days.

Ginger after the Walk (still wearing her coat)

Friday, December 4, 2009
Cold overnight with a morning firery start. During the daytime there was a mix of clouds and some sun. Late in the afternoon, the clouds gathered enough to drop just a trace of snow. The conditions at the last animal check were mostly cloudy, with just a glance at the departing moon as it drifted through the sky.

Fire in the Sky at Sunrise

Thursday, December 3, 2009
There was a mix of clouds with the nearly full moon overnight. This mix turned into a mostly cloudy sky for the day today. Just a little hint of sunlight from time to time. By late evening, those clouds began to disappear again and single digits approaching zero can be expected overnight.

Just a Hint of Sun on the Southeast Hills this Morning

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Mostly clear to totally clear conditions overnight made for a cool night, indeed. Single digits around the area. Today, with the full sunshine, it made it back to 30 degrees. But, it is going to drop down again tonight as crystal clear conditions continue.

Clouds Over the Southeast Hills This Afternoon

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Some light clouds dropped a little snow overnight that coated the ground this morning. The sky had cleared by sunrise time giving a clear if somewhat cold look to the ranch.

View of the Box Elder Tree in Mid Morning Sunlight

Yikes ... November Ends Already!

2009-11-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

This was about the fastest month ever! Just didn't do anything here about 'Life - One Day at a Time', so, I'll just have to post the happenings from Wunderground again to give the story about what happened this month!

November 2009 (Slide show)

Monday, November 30, 2009
No big changes in the weather today. It was a mix of clouds and stars with the growing moon overnight. Clouds drifted in early this morning for a little pre-sunrise color. The rest of the day was mild for the last day of November, a little windy, mostly cloudy, and giving some signs of a change that might mean some snow and colder temperatures.

Late Day Clouds Move in Over the West Hills

Sunday, November 29, 2009
Cloudy overnight but some breaks in the clouds took place for a couple of hours during the morning. Clouds reformed before noon and the cloud cover continued for the rest of the day.

View Across Corrals

Saturday, November 28, 2009
Clear overnight but clouds developed just before sunrise. Those clouds hung around all day and resulted in the temperature rising just slightly above freezing.

Horses Munching at the Morning Feeding

Friday, November 27, 2009
Clouds with light rain early this morning. The day is forecast to have scattered showers, snow at higher elevations, (already visible on the hills to the west and south) with mild temperatures and fog at the lower valley locations.

Morning View East to Light Fog in the Valley

Thursday, November 26, 2009
Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy conditions existed for most of the day. There was a fog bank that hung on in the valley through the early afternoon. Late today, stars were appearing through breaks in the clouds; however, rain or snow is forecast for tomorrow.

Lingering Fog at Midday

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Cloudy conditions overnight kept the temperature steady at around 30 degrees. The clouds broke up around sunrise to give sunshine, although, with a somewhat hazy fog lingering in the valley and above the tree lines to the east and south. The mild temperatures have almost eliminated the light snow cover that arrived a couple of days ago.

Sun with Hazy Sky to the Southeast this Morning

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Mostly cloudy with some light snow overnight. Early in the day, during the morning walk, the horses, as usual, were out standing in their field. The day followed the overnight lead, it just wasn't quite as dark.

Horses out Standing in Their Field

Monday, November 23, 2009
Variably cloudy conditions throughout most of the day. The winter look has returned to NW Montana here at the ranch.

Morning Trail Walk in the Snow

Sunday, November 22, 2009
It's back! After beating around the bush for a couple of days (and, the false start with the snow early in October) the snow is falling today. It was mostly cloudy overnight with just a quick glance at some sun colors before sunrise time, but, no actual visible sunrise, and by mid-morning the snow was falling freely. Looks like this could be a nice covering for the start of the holiday season.

Morning Clouds over the Old Barn

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Windy conditions that appeared late yesterday continued overnight. Since mostly cloudy conditions arrived with the wind, the overnight temperatures rose after the low was reached before midnight, yesterday. Today was a mix of sun and clouds. The temperature fluctuated accordingly with the passing sun and cloud variety. (Oh, and except for some windy conditions overnight, there was no storm).

Horses Out in the Afternoon Sun

Friday, November 20, 2009
Well, the forecast was for a "mild" day before the storm. Instead, it was mostly cloudy during the day, not that mild, and only cleared late in the day to allow the temperature to fall quickly this evening. The clearing was followed by a cloudy, windy, warming event to end the day.

Box Elder with the Last Leaves

Thursday, November 19, 2009
It was mostly cloudy from beginning to end today. Just a light touch of sunlight glanced of the hills to the northwest early today. Due to the limited (almost no) sun input, temperatures did not rise much today.

Limited Morning Sunlight

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Somewhat of a reversal of the conditions experienced yesterday, with today beginning with clouds breaking up around sunrise and the day becoming mostly clear by late in the day. This gave a good mix of sun and clouds during the middle part of the day.

Mix of Clouds with the Mid-morning Sun

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
It started out just partly cloudy and calm today, but became mostly cloudy by mid-morning. The wind increased a bit, too, but the temperature stayed relatively mild. The clouds continued through the afternoon and into the evening.

View Southeast from the Deck ... as the Clouds Arrive

Monday, November 16, 2009
Mostly sunny day after just enough clouds overnight to keep it from turning into a deep freeze. Today was one of those extra special November days when you could almost be tricked into thinking that winter is still far away. It was a nice way to continue to plow through November. But, after a couple of years or so on the planet, I know that isn't true. It could be here any day, again.

The Plow in November

Sunday, November 15, 2009
It did stay mostly cloudy today and rather cool, but not any snow fell around here. These days have not been melting much ice. I took a 3" thick round out of one of the rain barrels Friday, and the broken pieces I threw around for Taffy are still lying 'round-about the yard, waiting for a warm-up! It was a nice day for splitting (done by Patti) and stacking firewood, and for doing some insulating work in the barn. Just 'kinda' cool outside!

Extra Firewood Stack

Saturday, November 14, 2009
Cloudy sky again started the day here in NW Montana. Snow is in the forecast and knocking at the mountains to the west. Just variably cloudy conditions with temperatures holding constant through most of the day.

Afternoon Image Sweep Northeast to Southeast

Friday, November 13, 2009
The clear conditions of late day yesterday disappeared as a layer of clouds moved in overnight. This kept the temperature from falling and actually resulted in the coldest values happening just around midnight. The day was another mix of clouds, some light snow flurries, and limited sun. Again, quite 'normal' for this time of the year.

Morning View to the East

Thursday, November 12, 2009
It was mostly clear overnight and as usual for this time of the year, the temperature dropped below freezing and things were a little frosty. The day continued to be mostly sunny, but there wasn't much of a warm up. This time of the year, the normal daily temperature is just a bit above freezing. So, it was mostly a normal day in NW Montana.

Sunrise through Cool Morning Air

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 (Veteran's Day -- Repeat of 2008 entry

To all who have served and to all who are now serving in military service to our nation: Thank you for your service for the United States of America.

Freedom Team Salute

During an unpopular time, two of my brothers, and I, all served in the military service for the United States of America. It was a time of unrest in the country. There was an ongoing, unpopular war. There was no Pearl Harbor and there was no 9-11, to stir the nation patriotically and make the option of military service one of desire and honor. In spite of that, three of us from one family found ourselves in military service. Lee, the youngest, volunteered, and signed up into the United States Air Force in January 1968. Robert (Bob) received a draft notice in 1968 while working for Sperry Rand in Phoenix, Arizona. I received a draft notice as my first piece of mail after returning from my honeymoon. My service in the United States Army began on September 28, 1970.

Robert's Service Summary:

o United States Army : December 1968 - December 1971
o Fort Campbell, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Gordon, Georgia : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) 35n20(auto Stab) and 102f5 CH-54 Flying crane
o Fort Gordon Instructor 06/1969-03/1970 Flying Crane
o Phu Loi RVN 04/1970-04/1971 Cobra flight line tech then shop NCOIC 334AWC
o Stuttgart Germany 05/1971-12/1971 flight line tech then line chief 129th Trans Co.
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)

Daniel's Service Summary:

o United States Army : September 1970 - March 1972
o Fort Knox, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Bliss, Texas : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Nike Hercules Guided Missile Crewmember
o 03/1971 - 03/1972
o Vicenza, Italy transferred from Guided Missile Unit to Military Pay Specialist
o Tirrenia, Italy Military Pay Specialist
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)

Lee's Service Summary:

o United States Air Force : January 1968 - October 1975
o Lowry Air Force Base, Denver Colorado
o Overseas service with two tours of duty in Thailand

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
It was mostly cloudy early in the day but that became mostly sunny in the mid-day and afternoon. Clouds returned for the evening and slowed the usual evening cool down just a bit.

Ranch Flag and Morning View of the Ranch

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A mostly cloudy sky met the sunrise today. Like many of the days this time of the year, this day continued with a variable mix of clouds and some sunshine.

Late Afternoon Clouds and Sun

Monday, November 9, 2009
Sun at the ranch today while there was some early fog in the valley. The day continued to be sunny until late afternoon when clouds rolled into the area. Some overcast continued until after sunset. The clouds disappeared at that time and the evening and overnight cool down got underway.

Fog in Valley -- Zoom toward Northeast Mountains

Sunday, November 8, 2009
The weather, it continues. Partly cloudy conditions overnight morphed briefly and became mostly sunny for part of the morning. High overcast soon took over and defined the rest of the day. Periods of very light showers and pellets drifted through for the afternoon. Evening conditions swung around to become mostly clear and like the darkness, the temperatures are falling.

Morning Sun Reflections on the Pond

Saturday, November 7, 2009
A mix of clouds and sun this morning. It appears from the recorded temperature graph that the clouds drifted in around 2:00 AM, since the earlier falling temperature steadied at that time. Some frosty conditions this morning and a repeating pattern of clouds and sun throughout the day. As the fall transitions continue, the Box Elder has pretty much dropped the leaves for this year, even though there was not much of a color change due to the early October super cold days.

Box Elder Tree ... Dropping Leaves with Little or no Color

Friday, November 6, 2009
As can be said of many places, surely can be said of the ranch weather today: "If you don't like the weather, just wait a couple of minutes, and it will change!". Clear conditions of late yesterday became clouds and some rain early today. This cycle continued throughout the day (well, not much clearing, actually, just fast moving clouds with glimpses of blue sky). The evening saw the late day sun highlight clouds over the east mountains. But, later in the evening, wind and rain returned. Still later, at the final animal check, the stars were out and the moon was shining. So, even in the darkness, the cycle continues.

Sun Highlights Evening Clouds

Thursday, November 5, 2009
This was another day that began with mostly clear conditions overnight and just some sunrise enhancing clouds around this morning. The day was slightly overcast due to high clouds. These clouds dissolved as did the light of the day again bringing mostly clear evening conditions. However, the barometric pressure is falling and the really neat forecast icons on some of the instruments are showing precipitation may be on the way.

Still Some Fall Color, but from Pre-sunrise Clouds Today

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Mostly clear conditions again overnight led to frosty coatings on everything this morning. A mostly sunny day followed with temperatures quite 'seasonable'.

Frosty Pastures Early Today

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
There must have been some overnight clouds passing through the area, since the ground was covered with snow pellets this morning. Mostly clear conditions soon dissolved those pellets (except on the frozen pond) and a slightly warmer day took over.

Snow Pellets on Frozen Pond

Monday, November 2, 2009
Clear equals cool, for the overnight temperature. Frosty around the edges this morning as a result. The day became mostly overcast around mid-morning and kept any major warming from taking place. A return to mostly clear conditions late in the day will allow frosty conditions again overnight.

Clouds in Panorama Northeast to Southeast

Sunday, November 1, 2009
Some rain fell overnight. Most of the day was variably cloudy and pleasant. Late in the day, the sky cleared allowing the temperatures to cool nicely!

View across the Pastures Early Today

Veteran's Day -- Repeat of 2008 -- But it is worth it.

2009-11-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

To all who have served and to all who are now serving in military service to our nation: Thank you for your service for the United States of America.

During an unpopular time, two of my brothers, and I, all served in the military service for the United States of America. It was a time of unrest in the country. There was an ongoing, unpopular war. There was no Pearl Harbor and there was no 9-11, to stir the nation patriotically and make the option of military service one of desire and honor. In spite of that, three of us from one family found ourselves in military service. Lee, the youngest, volunteered, and signed up into the United States Air Force in January 1968. Robert (Bob) received a draft notice in 1968 while working for Sperry Rand in Phoenix, Arizona. I received a draft notice as my first piece of mail after returning from my honeymoon. My service in the United States Army began on September 28, 1970.

Robert's Service Summary:

o United States Army : December 1968 - December 1971
o Fort Campbell, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Gordon, Georgia : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) 35n20(auto Stab) and 102f5 CH-54 Flying crane
o Fort Gordon Instructor 06/1969-03/1970 Flying Crane
o Phu Loi RVN 04/1970-04/1971 Cobra flight line tech then shop NCOIC 334AWC
o Stuttgart Germany 05/1971-12/1971 flight line tech then line chief 129th Trans Co.
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)

Daniel's Service Summary:

o United States Army : September 1970 - March 1972
o Fort Knox, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Bliss, Texas : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Nike Hercules Guided Missile Crewmember
o 03/1971 - 03/1972
o Vicenza, Italy transferred from Guided Missile Unit to Military Pay Specialist
o Tirrenia, Italy Military Pay Specialist
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)

Lee's Service Summary:

o United States Air Force : January 1968 - October 1975
o Lowry Air Force Base, Denver Colorado
o Overseas service with two tours of duty in Thailand

October in one Burst!

2009-10-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just so quickly the month comes to an end. With a combination of early winter and a less colorful fall than might usually happen, the days suddenly will get shorter starting with tomorrow (Daylight savings time ends). For the most part, the necessary tasks for winter have been done. Bring it on!

October 2009 - Slide Show Images

Saturday, October 31, 2009
After having snow to start out the day yesterday, today started with mild temperatures under mostly cloudy conditions. The sun and rain played find a hole in the clouds for most of the day with it sometimes raining while the sun was shining. It was a mild day with the temperatures hovering between 50 and 60 during most of the afternoon. (oops, I should have taken a picture of one of the black cats for today ... maybe at the last animal check tonight).

Clouds Leaving over Southeast Hills

Friday, October 30, 2009
The wasn't that much (about 2") but it made for a nice environment for the morning walk around the ranch today. During the day the temperature rose enough to melt away the snow again and by late in the day the ground was again snow free.

Snow on the Fence Rails this Morning

Thursday, October 29, 2009
It was partly cloudy overnight and that allowed the temperature to go below freezing somewhat again. Also, it provided just a bit of sunshine for the sunrise. The day became overcast with some light snowflakes from time to time. More wood was gathered for a later splitting project. The ranch dogs were out for a bit this evening and came back in snow covered. It looks like the early winter preview is back!

Firewood Ready for Splitting

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Today was mostly cloudy with just some traces of snow flurries in the air. The temperature was below normals for this date, but did not seem that bad as I did some ranch chores and ignited a couple of more burn piles to clear up the dead branches gathered over the summer.

Late Day Controlled Burn

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Clouds stayed around overnight along with some light rain. The day continued to hold those clouds in place and added a few snow flurries that mixed in from time to time. Snow could be seen on the hills to the west and flurries continued at the higher elevations throughout most of the day.

Mostly Gray Day with Showers and Snow Flurries over the Hills

Monday, October 26, 2009
Mostly cloudy today with light rain to start the morning. The day continued to be cloudy with rain on and off throughout the day. As a result of rainfall over the last couple of days, and the fact that the growing season has ended, the creek reservoir began to fill yesterday, and today the creek channel and downstream pond also began to fill.

Creek beginning to Fill

Sunday, October 25, 2009
Clear and cool overnight with ice on the water buckets that weren't heated again this morning. Sunny conditions were the rule of the day with nice temperatures giving a good chance to get some more ranch tasks done before winter conditions return.

Looking up the Tamarack Trees

Saturday, October 24, 2009
An additional rainfall event overnight made things a little damp around the ranch this morning. Looks like a total of nearly a half-inch for a 24 hour period...I know, that's not much for most places, but, when things have been dry, that seems like a lot! It was a windy mix of clouds and sun for most the the day today. Looks like it will calm down tonight for a clear cool-down.

View from the Deck around Noon

Friday, October 23, 2009
Mostly cloudy with some rain off and on today.

Evening Clouds and Light Showers

Thursday, October 22, 2009
It was another day with a mix of sun and clouds. Not much new precipitation, though, just the variable cloud mix throughout the day.

Panoramic View this Evening

Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The starry sky that was present during the last animal check probably disappeared during the early AM (as indicated by rising temperatures around 1:00-2:00 AM). Morning fog hung around until mid-day and was followed by a mostly cloudy sky. Late afternoon showers developed and continued with a light rain for the evening.

Morning Fog Hides Neighboring Farm

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Mostly clear sky until early this morning allowed the temperature to go below freezing. By sunrise, the clouds gathered and came together a couple of times today for morning, afternoon, and evening showers. In between, it was the typical mix of clouds with some sun rays.

Evening View with Passing Showers to Southeast

Monday, October 19, 2009
The sun made some appearances today, first breaking through the morning clouds from time to time and later as a circle through high clouds. This was not a clear day with a high overcast for much of the day. Ranch tasks today included a visit from the farrier with hoof trims for most and shoes for one horse. As part of the transition to winter, the horses were moved to a new pasture today.

Horses Grazing in a New Pasture Today

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Today was back to normal or above normal temperatures again, thankfully! There are still a few tasks to do around the ranch before the real winter returns. The day began with departing clouds and continued as many days do, with a mixture of clouds and sun. The late day sky became mostly clear and the temperature may fall below freezing again overnight.

The Box Elder Tree Still Trying for Fall Colors

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Valley fog in the morning with clouds around the sunrise. The day continued with a mixture of clouds and sun. The evening was nice for a cookout and feeding of grazing deer using some of the apples saved from the trees just before last weeks big freeze. Just before midnight, strong winds blew through along with some showers.

Evening Cookout Fire

Friday, October 16, 2009
After a mostly clear night, there were some long low clouds in the east sky early this morning. These clouds were joined during the morning by some additional clouds giving a mostly cloudy day.

Morning Sky Between the Trees

Thursday, October 15, 2009
Yesterday's snow was pretty much gone again by this morning. The overnight temperature remained warm enough to allow most of the snow to disappear once again. Today was mostly cloudy and some light showers fell later in the afternoon. The evening became partly cloudy and a touch of sun near sunset time gave just a hint of the fall colors.

Evening View East and South around Sunset

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Well, just when I was back to reporting a trace of snow, a new light dusting occurred. (Just under an inch, though, so no big storm!). I don't think it will happen (because the temperature is likely to stay above freezing again for a long enough time to melt everything), otherwise, this could have been the start of the continuous snow cover for the season. In any case, not much fall color from leaf changes will take place since they are frozen and turned immediately brown or fell, instead of changing color first. The tamarack trees are beginning to change. So, as long as there is no big ice storm event, their colors should show soon.

Fog and Light Snow during the Morning Walk
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Some mixed light clouds overnight kept the temperature from falling as low as it had for the last four days. Mostly sunny conditions with some high clouds later in the afternoon allowed the temperature to finally climb above freezing. The snow cover diminished somewhat as a result, but a trace still hangs on in shaded locations.

Morning Sunrise

Monday, October 12, 2009
Well, the very cold conditions continued with a below zero morning at the ranch. Clear, not much wind, frosty, and cold with a couple of more days in store before returning to "normal" temperatures. Also, regardless of the record cold temperature, a couple of new critters joined the ranch animal family today.

A Couple of new Additions to the Ranch: Panther and Shaggy
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Sunday, October 11, 2009
Mostly clear meant mostly cold again overnight. And it was! My station recorded just something like 0.x again today ... So, at least it wasn't below zero! The day continued to stay mostly sunny and kind of pleasant (if it was, like, JANUARY!) getting to almost close to above freezing. Another night of clear sky is forecast with the temperature crossing into the single digits at just before 9 PM!

Another Day when the Drinking Buckets Stayed Frozen

Saturday, October 10, 2009
There were clear conditions overnight and the morning sun helped to focus on the frosty, frozen, snow covered conditions that have arrived here in NW Montana. A little bit of melting took place ... but, this is not like a June snowstorm, and it appears winter has given a heads-up, if not SHOUTING OUT: "HERE I AM ... ARE YOU READY? ... I'M BACK!!!". I love it!

Morning Sun over the Snow Covered Yard

Friday, October 9, 2009
The snow that began last evening continued to fall for a bit of the night. Morning measurements showed 4" to 5" as the average depth, with up to 8" in drifts on the deck. Let the winter season begin!

Morning Panorama from the Deck

Thursday, October 8, 2009
After a fairly nice day: Mostly sunny beginning; Variable cloudiness during the morning and early afternoon, with increasing clouds in the evening; it all turned to a blowing snow blizzard beginning just as the last daylight left the area! This will be a day with a snow amount reported for total on the ground (I'm not sure yet, how much, animal check will be happening pretty soon now, and I'll do a measurement at that time). Even for a former Minnesotan, this strikes me as a little early! Along with the snow event that is happening right now, colder conditions are forecast to follow with single digits expected! Yikes! Fall in NW Montana can be brutal! UPDATE: After the animal check: about 2" of snow covering the ground and it continues to fall nicely!

Last Animal Check in the Late Evening Snow

Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Falling temperatures with the maximum happening at midnight. Along with the temperature, some light rain and even some snow fell. This is early fall weather, in NW Montana! (Actually, later in the day, the weather was quite nice with bright sunshine and a pleasant temperature.

Late Afternoon Sun after the Earlier Day Snow Event

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ice on the buckets and water tanks this morning as the temperature bottomed out at around 20 degrees. The day was sunny and fairly nice with middle 50's. Fall is here, but winter is in the forecast with snow and even colder temperatures predicted in a couple of days.

Dunder Watches the Horses in Outer Pasture

Monday, October 5, 2009
Mostly sunny through the day after a mostly clear night. Some cloud sun mix again during the afternoon, but much less wind than has been the case for the previous two days.

Box Elder in the Afternoon Sunlight

Sunday, October 4, 2009
The clouds and sun played a full day of hide-and-seek today. Continuing windy conditions kept things blowing around for most of the day. Late in the day, the wind began to slow and the moon rose through some remaining clouds.

Afternoon Sun and Cloud Mix

Saturday, October 3, 2009
The sun began the day poking through some clouds along the horizon and rising over fog in the valley. By mid-morning it was mostly sunny and the temperature slowing rising through the low 40's. Snow was visible on the top edges of the east mountains.

Early Day Fog in the Valley

Friday, October 2, 2009
The day began under mostly cloudy conditions. Even though I had earlier thought the day would not provide any precipitation, it did after-all. Late in the afternoon light showers moved through the area. By the time it was all over just under 1/10th of an inch was recorded.

Box Elder Fall Color Begins

Thursday, October 1, 2009
A new month begins with frost on the ground and lingering clouds in the sky. The rainfall from yesterday was frozen in the gauge at the 0.08" level. Mostly sunny conditions during the morning soon melted away the frost and the ice in the measuring tube.

Morning Clouds for the Sun to Poke Through

A Pen Replaces the Finger Tips

2009-10-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I really haven't been adding to my "Life" summary very much again this month. The only reason I have logged in today is to say that sometimes I like to just write and print using a pen or pencil and wonder if pressing these keys will every give such a nice feeling.

September in One Big Blog Entry

2009-09-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the month of September flew by without so much as an update to "Life"! Such as it is sometimes during busy (and even, not so busy) times. I did not get back into running training mode, so, there was no marathon training log to maintain. As a result, all I have to offer is the pasting of the Wunderground blog along with this short introductory paragraph.

September Slide Show

Wednesday, September 30, 2009: Mostly cloudy today. Some rain finally showed up during the late afternoon. Just enough to settle the dust a bit, but not very far into the dust layer. With the clouds, cool temperatures were the order for the day with the high just making it into the middle 50's. Clouds and cool conditions are forecast for the next few days.

Clouds to the East After the Early Evening Shower

Tuesday, September 29, 2009: Almost running out of days in September that can provide some precipitation to close the gap in the monthly total. I have only recorded about 0.03" for the entire month. That is about 1.5" below the month normal by this date. As a result, all is dry and dusty.

Color in the evening sky just after sunset

Monday, September 28, 2009: This may be the last in the string of dry, mild, mostly sunny days. Today was a mix of high clouds with some of the smoke from forest fires adding to the color of the morning sky. Temperatures rose into the mid 70's with the high clouds staying throughout the day.

Clouds at Sunrise View from the West Hill

Sunday, September 27, 2009: A cool start for today. After the strong wind that blew most of yesterday, today was relatively quiet, sunny, continued dry, and not quite as warm.

It's all about Starting the Day ... Over and Over

Saturday, September 26, 2009: Windy, warm, and continued sunny and dry. Even as the days get shorter and the track of the sun moves day by day toward the south, here in NW Montana summer continues. The forecast keeps moving the cooler and possible rain producing days one day further out with each new day. The coming week should see a change (maybe?) with cooler temperatures and possibly some rain ahead.

Box Elder Tree Holds out in Dusty, Sunny, Windy Day

Friday, September 25, 2009: Sunny, warm and dry. Record maximum temperatures in some reporting locations for today. Mostly smoky, dry, and dusty around the ranch.

Sunrise from the West Hill (start of the dog walk)

Thursday, September 24, 2009: Clear and near record high temperatures. This made it a good day to take a day trip from the ranch to Glacier National Park and Hungry Horse Dam.

Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park

Hungry Horse Dam in NW Montana

Wednesday, September 23, 2009: Clear, dry, and mild conditions again today at the ranch. There is just a touch of color in the trees, and the grass and woods ground cover is beginning to make the transition as the first full day of fall gives shorter daylight.

Just a Touch of Color in the Box Elder Tree

Tuesday, September 22, 2009: The switchover day for summer to fall began with sunny and near summer-like temperatures (just a little cooler early morning low than a mid-summer day would have). The dry trend continues with a lot of dust in the air any time the horses walk or trot through the dry lots. As an extra bonus, Patti's mom joins us today, during a walk with the dogs.

Taffy, Patti, her mom, and Titan at the Family Time Rest Bench

Sun Rays Showing some Dust as Dunder Paces in his Corral

Monday, September 21, 2009: Totally clear conditions overnight resulted in low temperatures in the upper 20's. The pastures were frosty during the morning walk with the dogs. Clear conditions continued throughout the day, with dry and dusty paddocks for the horses.

Frosty Grass in Morning View toward the Sunrise

Sunday, September 20, 2009: Some clouds around both early and late today but, again, very little precipitation. The day was partly cloudy early in the morning and became mostly sunny and that continued through the middle of the day. Late in the afternoon a very light shower (trace amounts only) went through the area. By the time of the last animal check it was again mostly clear and making way for some frosty conditions likely for tomorrow.

Alfalfa Bales Delivered this Morning

Saturday, September 19, 2009: Sunny beginning but with increasing clouds throughout the day. No precipitation today and just some windy conditions to go with the clouds.

Evening Clouds over the Box Elder and East Treeline

Friday, September 18, 2009: Clear and cool this morning. The sun and clear sky conditions for the entire day gave warm temperatures and a perfect day for a grill out at the fire-ring.

Dogs at the Evening Cookout

Thursday, September 17, 2009: A quick thunder shower with just a trace of rain swooped through just at sunrise. It resulted in just water-drop marks in the dust, and actually created more dust than it settled. Heavier rainfall could be seen in the distance, and, in fact, there was evidence of a good shower having taken place when I went to town for some morning appointments. At the ranch, as I mentioned, the rainfall was very light. After the early morning clouds scooted away to the east, the rest of the day was mostly sunny, dry, and warm.

Sunrise after the Light Morning Rain

Wednesday, September 16, 2009: Clear and dry again. Not much of a change in weather from day to day, but, you know, in the background, the days are changing.

Morning View across the Pastures

Tuesday, September 15, 2009: Sunny and dry again. Today, I raked the grass areas that were cut yesterday. Since conditions continue to be quite dry, I decided to also switch tractor implements and pull the baler through the windrows to make bales one last time for the season.

Loading the Last Bale of 2009!

Monday, September 14, 2009: Today again kept up the dry trend that September has brought. Since this is the last week of summer, I decided it was time to climb the north hill and take some pictures of the ranch in mostly summer conditions. Later, I decided to use the continuing string of dry days to cut the creek grass and some of the longer grass along it. This is the second cutting for some of the area, but the creek grass was long, but still green. Some high clouds drifted through later in the day but no precipitation accompanied the cloud cover.

View from the North Hill

Sunday, September 13, 2009: A perfectly clear, sunny, and dry day today. Some chore activities were done early in the day (putting up 4-tons of hay, splitting and stacking wood). The horses enjoyed cleaning up the area where the hay (alfalfa/grass mix) was dropped before we moved it to the hay barn.

Horses Graze Hay Leftovers

Saturday, September 12, 2009: The long string of sunny, dry and warm days continued today at the ranch.

Sunrise from the West Hill

Friday, September 11, 2009: Another sun filled and rainless day at the ranch.

9-11, Remembered

Thursday, September 10, 2009: A day of sun and nice late summer weather in NW Montana. Dry conditions continue.

Morning Sunlight and the Old Barn

Wednesday, September 9, 2009: Another cool start to the day, but sunny conditions began to warm things up during the morning. Some high clouds, but a great day in NW Montana.

Sunrise and Clouds began the Day

Tuesday, September 8, 2009: An early sign of the winter to follow with a light frost this morning. A clear overnight sky allowed temperatures to drop into the low 30's. The day was mostly sunny with temperatures rebounding nicely supported by a mix of clouds and sun throughout day and evening.

Tracks in the Morning Frost

Monday, September 7, 2009: Mostly cloudy again this morning. Much like yesterday with periods of clouds and sun for most of the day. Even though the clouds looked like they could contain some precipitation, it all stayed up there, in those clouds. The automatic gauges have not clicked off any amount for the entire month. There was some that accumulated in the plastic gauge, but not much there either.

Clouds over the Ranch this Morning

Sunday, September 6, 2009: Mostly cloudy to start the day followed by periods of sun and clouds. The late afternoon became mostly sunny. The clearing sky should put us on the list for quite a cool down tonight.

Streams of Clouds in the Late Afternoon Sky

Saturday, September 5, 2009: The forecast stated mostly cloudy. The sky did have some early morning clouds, but they were mostly gone for a period during the early morning. At about 10:30 AM the clouds rolled in again. They just gave a trace of rain (drops, actually) and it was a sun and cloud mix until early evening when mostly cloudy conditions returned. The real excitement of the day took place during the final animal check. At that time, two of the dogs (Taffy and Titan) decided to find a skunk. It was not the best way to end a day!

Colored Sky before the Sun Rise

Friday, September 4, 2009: There were some clouds around the edges this morning and into the middle of the day. There was less wind than yesterday and the temperatures continued to be cool in the morning and warm without being hot during the afternoon. We could use some precipitation though to settle the dust around the area.

Clear Blue Sky during the Early Afternoon ... and the Box Elder, once again

Thursday, September 3, 2009: Today was a breezy day with a mix of clouds. The dry conditions of the last couple of weeks resulted in a lot of dust blowing in the wind. Warm afternoon temperatures gave way to another cool down soon after sunset.

Sunrise between the Yard Pines

Wednesday, September 2, 2009: Another in a string of days that remain sunny, dry and warm. The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, continue.

View across the Pastures

Tuesday, September 1, 2009: A clear start to another month.

Sunrise

August Summary around NW Montana

2009-08-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is almost a duplication of the post I do in Day by Day in NW Montana. Sometimes, I modify the posting slightly when I insert it here with just some extra odds and ends. This month, the most noteworthy event was the fact that the high rainfall during the early part of the month resulted in the reservoir filling and the creek running for a number of days. The flow lasted about four or five days. Then, the creek flow was just what was draining from the reservoir. No additional inflow took place through the end of the month. One drawback of the reservoir still having water in it is that the apples dropping of the tree near the reservoir are difficult to fetch. As August ends, all is well at the ranch here in NW Montana.

August 2009: A Mix of Scenes (Slide Show)

Monday, August 31, 2009: The week is beginning and the month is ending on a continuing warm, dry, and mostly sunny streak. There were some clouds along the east edges late in the day, but they were well over the mountains and not a factor for us here at the ranch.

Evening Clouds to the East ... after a Sunny Day

Sunday, August 30, 2009: It was a sunny, warm, dry day in NW Montana. I guess the cloudiness of yesterday was the rain event forecast for today and it just happened a day early and didn't have any rain in it, either.

The Box Elder in the Evening Sunlight

Saturday, August 29, 2009: The sun made an appearance just before a cloud bank slid over the area today. The cloud and filtered sun conditions continued for most of the day.

Morning Sky through Amber Filter

Neighboring Farm in Merged Images through Amber Filter

Friday, August 28, 2009: None of that partly cloudy sky today. Totally clear from beginning to end giving a sunny, warm, and dry day at the ranch.

Barn Complex in the Morning Light

Thursday, August 27, 2009: Sunny with some variable cloudiness moving through the sky. Still the day was warm, with scattered clouds, and dry. These are the three key weather phrases that defined another day at the ranch.

Repeating Morning View of Horses near the Box Elder Tree

Wednesday, August 26, 2009: Some clouds around the east horizon early today. The sky contained scattered high clouds throughout the morning. Even as the summer days continue to be dry and warm, it is time to get ready for the coming winter. This afternoon, splitting of wood was done as part of that winter preparation.

View Across Pasture to Ranch Buildings

Splitting Wood and Filling the Trailer

Tuesday, August 25, 2009: The string of dry and clear days continues in NW Montana. Not overly warm, so it was basically a nice pleasant day (with a cool start, too).

The Box Elder Tree Casts a Large Morning Shadow

Monday, August 24, 2009: Bright morning sunshine and cool overnight temperatures.

Morning View of the Box Elder Tree, and Horses

Sunday, August 23, 2009: Mostly sunny, cool overnight and slowly rising temperatures begin the day in NW Montana.

Evening View of the Box Elder Tree

Saturday, August 22, 2009: Clear sky conditions through last night and into today. The forecast had been for near record temperatures and although warm, no records were broken.

Morning Sunrise

Friday, August 21, 2009: A rouge 'near-clear-air' thunderstorm dropped a trace of rain just after 8:00 A.M. The day was sunny and warm, except for that short event. The grass cut for hay yesterday was raked one more time for drying, and later, the baling of pasture four was done.

Baling Hay in Pasture Four

Thursday, August 20, 2009: A clear sky repeated for today. It was a good morning for the daily walk with the dogs. Later, the swathed windrows were raked and made ready for baling of the hay that will take place tomorrow.

Morning Walk with the Dogs

Windrow Rake Poised above Pasture Four

Wednesday, August 19, 2009: Clear and warm around NW Montana today. This allowed the remaining uncut pasture to dry enough (after last week's rain) so that yet another round of swathing, raking, and baling could begin.

The Morning Sun over the Trees

Another Round of Swathing, Raking, and Baling begins: Swathing Pasture 4

Tuesday, August 18, 2009: A sunny start to the day. Less humidity in the air meant little if any overnight fog in the low areas. A mild day resulted with conditions drying out enough that the creek, which had refilled last Saturday as a result of the rainy week last week, stopped flowing again today.

Morning View East and South

Monday, August 17, 2009: Mostly cloudy, cool, and some fog in the valley to start the day. There were good sized breaks in the clouds during the morning resulting in mostly sunny conditions. From around noon until mid-afternoon, the cloud mix thickened again with mostly cloudy conditions. The assorted mix continued with some breaks which allowed the late afternoon to be partly sunny, with the temperatures able to rise into the low 70's.

Orpheus Rests while Corrie Drinks and Winnie Watches

Sunday, August 16, 2009: Today was one of those days with a mixture of sun and clouds again. Partly cloudy sky around sunrise turned into showers around noon-time. The afternoon continued with the showers disappearing and some sun breaking through from time to time. There were some impressive clouds in the late evening sky that gave just a few drops of rain here at the ranch, but likely had more rain dropping as they headed over the hills to the east. The creek reservoir filled overnight and the creek was flowing this morning.

Big Sky Cloud Mix Today (Slide Show)

Saturday, August 15, 2009: Today began with the sun shining and partly cloudy sky conditions. A quick change took place shortly after 8:00 AM when clouds returned to cover the entire sky. The clouds stayed around most of the day and produced some thunder and rain during the evening. A mixture of parting clouds and late day sunlight ended the day.

Evening Showers Over East Hills

Some Late Day Sunshine Lightened up the Paddocks

Friday, August 14, 2009: The day began with a repeat of clouds in the sky and fog in the hills. A mid-morning through noon rainfall dampened the area and kept temperatures cool. The day continued with passing showers from time to time. A thunderstorm passed through during the early evening. This rain activity kept temperatures struggling to stay above 50 degrees. I heard a forecast for snow in the higher elevations over the next day or two. Can this be the middle of August?

Fog and Clouds over the Neighboring Farm

Fog and Clouds over the East and Southeast Hills (much like yesterday...just more rain!)

August Singularity

Thursday, August 13, 2009: Some light rain overnight lingered into the mid-morning. Mostly cloudy conditions gave just passing opportunities for sunlight today. There was some clearing of the sky during the mid afternoon. While attending a riding clinic, it was quite breezy this afternoon in the valley. Additional showers returned late in the day with rain beginning as darkness arrived. Today is one of the days of August Singularity.

Lingering Clouds and Fog in Mid-Day View Southeast

Riding Clinic in the Valley this Afternoon

Some Blue Sky later in the Afternoon

Wednesday, August 12, 2009: A mostly cloudy day around the ranch today. Showers drifted through a couple of times during the day, first during the morning, and next, with more intensity during the early afternoon. As a result of the showers, the temperature was only able to top out in the high 60's. Just a light ray or two of sunlight late in the day provided a weak rainbow in some parting evening showers over the southeast treeline.

Morning Clouds to the East and Northeast

Weak Evening Rainbow to the Southeast

Tuesday, August 11, 2009: It was a sunny and mild day around the ranch today. The evening was again just right for a little softball playoff watching. Since the season is winding down, it was time to scout the upcoming opponents for the championship game we play next Monday evening.

Sunny Morning at the Ranch

Evening Softball Scouting Action at the Ball-yard

Monday, August 10, 2009: The sun made an appearance with a gathering of clouds today. Most of the day continued this mix of sun and clouds with a pleasant temperature result. It was just a perfect evening for another softball game.

Morning Sun Appears through the Clouds

Warm-up before the Softball Game

Sunday, August 9, 2009: It was a mixed day of sun and clouds today. The sunny periods provided an opportunity for a trail ride and viewing some wildlife around the ranch. Clouds filled the east sky late in the evening.

Trail Ride during the Mid Day Sunshine

Deer along the Riding Trail

Evening Clouds to the East

Saturday, August 8, 2009: The sun fought for an appearance through some clouds this morning. Eventually, the day became partly cloudy and allowed for a nice photo shoot for Wanita R. and a new bride.

Morning Sun through the Clouds

Wanita R. and Bride at Photo Shoot

Friday, August 7, 2009: A mix of clouds and sun around NW Montana today. Late day sunshine provided evening shadows across the pastures.

Sun and Shadows across the Pastures

Thursday, August 6, 2009: After some morning clouds, plenty of sunshine appeared to allow still more of the ranch flowers to bloom!

Ranch Flower: Canadian Thistle (I hope it showed a passport to get here!)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009: A touch of clouds and trees began and ended the day today. In between, the sun provided a nice day for the horses and people at the ranch. A quick evening shower left some clouds that seemed to reach down to the trees in the late evening sky.

Morning Sun with a Touch of Clouds

Evening Clouds Try to Touch the Trees

Tuesday, August 4, 2009: It was a sunny and warm day around the area today. The evening provided continuing softball action as the 'senior men of summer' continue game playoffs as the season winds down. So, today saw the horses gather around their water cooler as the men gathered around the beer cooler after the game!

Horses around the Water Cooler

Men around the Beer Cooler (Pretty soon after this, anyway!)

Monday, August 3, 2009: A warm sunny day at the ranch was started with a great sunrise through some morning clouds. And, although spring is thought to be the time of flowers, some still linger here in NW Montana.

Sunrise through the Morning Clouds

Some of the Last Flowers of Summer (Mullein Flowering)

Sunday, August 2, 2009: A clear pleasant day around the valley. It made for a great day to take a Sunday bike ride into Kalispell on the "Rails-to-Trails" route.

Morning Sun and Shadows from the Box Elder Tree

Riding the Rails-to-Trails Route into Kalispell

Saturday, August 1, 2009: A sunny start to the August month in NW Montana.

Silo and old Farm along the Bike Trail to Kalispell

Cutest Dogs in My Life

2009-08-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

Just adding this here to take it out of the WUG Blog. It didn't really fit into the Day by Day in NW Montana idea, anyway. I don't expect to get thousands of votes here, either (I think I'm the only one that looks at this blog) ... no matter, it helps me to log some things that I would forget otherwise.

So, here, cut from the pages of the Weather Underground Blog is my entry for the cutest dog contest. You can also search the gallery and vote for my Ginger, too. It will be easy to pick here out, she is the cutest one in the group!

Taffy's Baby Picture (October 18. 2004) --|-- Taffy, trying for the Puppy Pose (August 25, 2009)
|

Since the 'Cutest Dog Competition' link is sometimes broken, I decided just to put some images of Taffy here. If you would have voted for her (except for the web-site problems, needing to register your e-mail, and all that other stuff) just leave a comment here instead if you would like. Thanks!

Back to the Future - July 2009 Revisitied

2009-08-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

August 5, 2009 Here, I need to step back into July to post some videos I created during the last part of July. With the ranch being the main thing in my life, and, although Patti and I have lived here in Montana since April of 2004, finally, at the end of July, 2009! We took some time off from the ranch activities and did a day tour of Glacier National Park. (Well, I did go there with a friend from Minnesota last October, but, roads were closed past Avalanche Falls area and we really did not get to see much of Glacier at all). The videos and images represent the day tour taken with some friends from Minnesota (Jeff and Roxie) who spent some time with us at the ranch during the last part of July and the first part of August. The three video clips were from the day tour. The first clip is during the time at McDonald Creek and the McDonald Falls area. The second and third video clips were made while going up and down Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass. It was a wonderful day!

July 2009 - Monthly Weather Summary

2009-08-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

So quickly another month zipped by! I didn't actually complete the Trilogy the way I had planned, but, I did get all three steps represented. Some baler problems resulted in the actual step three being mostly a working period and not many images or videos were taken during the baling.

As usual, the monthly weather summary and daily summary is from my blog at WeatherUnderground. The blog at that location is updated "almost" daily, and I later capture the summary and place it here. It has been a wonderful summer so far and I look forward to the next month of ranch activities.

JULY WEATHER SUMMARY

Friday, July 31, 2009: A light rainfall overnight resulted in some lingering ground fog this morning. This fog soon disappeared and resulted in a clear and pleasant day. The evening was spent with a wonderful tour of Averill's Flathead Lake Lodge. Some friends from Minnesota had stayed at the lodge for a number of years more than 40 years ago, and had also spent their honeymoon there. The owner was gracious and spent a couple of hours with us this evening.

Lingering Morning Fog

Visiting Averill's Flathead Lake Lodge (Slide Show)

Thursday, July 30, 2009: A sunny mild day today. This made for a great day trip to Glacier National Park and a drive up the Going to the Sun Road.

Touring Glacier National Park (Slide Show)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009: Clear sky and sunny conditions at the ranch today. The overnight low managed to end up in the 40's! Quite a cool morning, in-fact! The afternoon was sunny and mild. Just right for a late afternoon trail ride for my wife and a visitor from Minnesota!

Morning Sun Streak

Afternoon Trail Riding

Tuesday, July 28, 2009: There was a mixture of weather again today at the ranch. The morning was started with the sun peering under a cloud bank that covered most of the sky. This disappeared during the middle of the morning giving mostly sunny conditions. The afternoon began with this sun being replaced by a thunderstorm cloud and some rain during the early afternoon. A mixture of clouds continued for most of the afternoon, just giving enough sun to dry the clothes that were on the line. It continued to be mostly cloudy through the evening with the sunset sky beginning to break the clouds apart.

Sunrise Under the Cloud Bank

Morning View along the Fence Line

Afternoon Clouds to the Southeast

Monday, July 27, 2009: Mostly a sunny day today. There was a rouge rainstorm that moved through late in the afternoon. The weather cleared again and it was a good evening for a cookout and a nice evening in NW Montana.

Morning Sun

Evening Rainbow

Sunday, July 26, 2009: In an unusual weather day, a series of thunder storms moved through the area today. The first was around 3:00 AM with just some light rain. A repeating rain and thunder event returned around noon. This was followed by a third lightning, thunder, and rainstorm at around 6:00 PM ... Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it was a good day of normal ranch chores.

Sunny Afternoon over the Creek Pond

Evening Showers Approaching from the Southeast

Saturday, July 25, 2009: A mostly sunny and warm day around the area today. Part of the day was spent attending The Event at Rebecca Farm. There, horses and riders were tested both by the heat and the cross-country riding course as part of the three categories (Dressage, Cross-country, and Show Jumping) in the World-cup qualifying event. The evening was spent back at the ranch to watch some clouds begin to form in the west sky as some weather activity approached.

The Event at Rebecca Farm

Evening Sun and Clouds

Friday, July 24, 2009: Just a little light rain managed to fall during the early morning today. Daybreak was cloud covered with the lingering shower in the valley to the east. During the mid-morning, the clouds broke some allowing a mix of sun a clouds to exist for the rest of the day.

Showers Leaving

Clearing Sky Arriving

Kitten on the Stump

Thursday, July 23, 2009: Today tried to be a little different from the earlier days of the week. As it turned out, although some high clouds drifted over, mixed with ongoing sunshine, and created warm temperatures, no rainfall resulted and it stayed dry again. Late in the evening, lightning could be seen in the clouds to the east of the ranch.

Clouds with Lightning

Wednesday, July 22, 2009: Repeat on the weather. It was a good day for a trail ride in the cool woods.

Mid Day Trail Ride

Tuesday, July 21, 2009: Can you say?: "Dry, warm, sunny!", well that's how it continues to be here in NW Montana. Just a pretty nice day overall!

View Across the Pastures

Monday, July 20, 2009: Dry, warm, and sunny. Just right for some miscellaneous ranch chores. Not much was actually done today. Just some sessions with the horses (mostly my wife doing that, I just walked a couple of them back and forth to the barn). Away from the ranch for evening of softball during these sunny days of summer.

Laundry on the Line

Eagles Softball Team

Daniel at First Base

Sunday, July 19, 2009: Sunny, dry, and warm. This is now likely to be the repeating weather phenomena for the next couple of weeks. The trend sometimes continues until the seasonal change date I mentioned last year that as sometimes referred to as August Singularity. Today, I continued the chainsawing of the big tree fall area. Lots of cut logs to load and split! Meanwhile, others (and sometime, me) are enjoying the fun of summer with some horse rides!

Cut Logs

Horse Riders

Saturday, July 18, 2009: There were some high thin clouds this morning. However, that did not keep the day from warming nicely through the mid-80's by late afternoon. The morning was spent picking up the last of the hay bales (the good and the bad) and removing the last of the loose grass from the pastures. During the morning, the horses enjoyed grazing some long grass areas along the creek. Later, after the bales were gone from pasture two, they got to go out into the pasture for grazing of the fresh green grass that is left after the swathing and baling process.

Morning Sun through High Clouds

Orpheus Grazing Long Creek Grass

Morning View East showing Bales in Pasture Two

Horses Graze Newly Cut Pasture

Friday, July 17, 2009: Clear, dry, and warm. This simple weather mix led to a number of projects at the ranch today. I decided to begin cutting up the tree fall that took place earlier this summer (a large tree took down a couple of more once it finally fell all of the way to the ground). Also, I raked the windrows one last time and decided to bale up what we could. Some of the grass was still wet (especially the rows that were closest to the creek). But, it all baled up and we ended up getting another 30 plus bales from the reject bales and the windrows that had stayed in pasture two. Now, just pasture four is standing grass and that will probably be cut near the end of July after the grass along the upper fence line has a chance to grow a bit more.

Chainsawing Wood and Baling Hay (Slide Show)

Thursday, July 16, 2009: Clear and warm today. The morning was sunny with some dampness in the air remaining from the rainfall that took place on Monday. Today I completed the moving of a fence line in the workshop paddock. The horses loved the new long grass! Later in the day, the tasks slowed to a turtle's pace.

Horses Grazing new Long Grass Area

Turtle on a Rock

Wednesday, July 15, 2009: Some morning ground fog this morning, with the still humid conditions remaining from the Monday rains. Warming temperatures during the day with some drying out now taking place.

Dog Walk with Morning Fog Over the Hills

Afternoon Cumulus Formations

Tuesday, July 14, 2009: Morning fog around the ranch today. The day became mostly sunny with the fog disappearing during mid-day.

Morning Fog

Evening Mostly Clear

Monday, July 13, 2009: The moon was visible when I got up around 4:30 AM, but, by the time I awoke for good at about 7:00, the sky was mostly cloudy. After a quick morning walk and breakfast it was time to unload the rest of the bales from the trailer and run the baler through the rejected bales from yesterday and the last few windrows. Unfortunately, the weather card was played with a thunderstorm and heavy rain between 9:45-10:15 ... and continuing for much of the day! A storm total of 1.28" was recorded. So, alas, the windrows and scattered rejected bales are wet and will need to be dried, re-raked, and examined to see whether the grass can be saved.

Last Sun of the Morning

Rain over Southeast Treeline

Sunday, July 12, 2009: It was a day forecast to have some showers and thunderstorms. Since I had grass on the ground, ready to be made into bales, I needed to make hay, even if the sun was not shining. As it turned out, my baler did not work again, so I begged for a neighbor's baler and converted a full pasture and most of another into food for the horses! (The sun did shine for most of the afternoon, too). There were some problems with the borrowed baler, and not all of the rows got converted into bales. At the end of the day, the counter showed over 250 bales, though, and between my wife and myself, we picked up every one from the fields and got them into the barn, feed shelters, and storage areas. Tomorrow, I hope to adjust the baler and pick up the last of the cut grass. It was a great day (even if it meant working out in the fields until after 8:00 PM!).

Bales on the Ground

Bales on the Wagon

Saturday, July 11, 2009: The day was mostly sunny through the afternoon. It made today a fine day to rake the windrows in the pastures I swathed yesterday. The evening began to have some high overcast that gave a glowing color to the west skyline behind the trees on the ridge.

Morning Sun, Box Elder and Jonah

Windrows through the Rakes

Evening Sky Glow above West Tree Ridge

Friday, July 10, 2009: A mostly sunny day today. The ongoing projects included finishing the swathing of pasture three.

Morning Shadows, Horses, and Dog

Cutting through Pasture Three

Thursday, July 9, 2009: A day of increasing cloudy conditions peaked with some light rain around 6:00 PM. This was after a sunny morning, and a mix of clouds during the rest of the day. It was time to do the second round of field work as I cut the grass in pasture number two during the middle of the day cloudy period. Later, the clouds resulted in a rain that was quick and light. I was able to do a cookout at the fire-ring to end the day.

Mixed Weather Day (Slide Show)

Wednesday, July 8, 2009: So, today is 07.08.09. It started out a little cool here in NW Montana with the automatic thermo showing a low a 34.7! COOL! The horses were a little frisky as they were let out into the greener paddock areas today. Clouds developed during the morning and gave a quick shower (including some hail pellets) during the early afternoon. The cloud breakup was pretty quick and resulted in some great afternoon and evening cloud formations.

Drifting Evening Clouds in the East Sky

Tuesday, July 7, 2009: Mostly clear this morning. Some cloud buildup during the morning. Just a single thunder rumble was heard during the evening. Those clouds passed further to the east to hold over the mountains while the sky in the west valley became mostly clear.

Changing Sky of the Day (Slide Show)

Monday, July 6, 2009: Started out the day partly sunny and it became mostly cloudy before 9:00 AM. The forecast is for a thunderstorm and rain event this afternoon. (It sure would have been nice to get that grass converted into hay bales yesterday!) It turned out the forecast was right-on. A thunderstorm came through at just about 12:00 noon. Luckily, I had just finished baling using a neighbor's baler. You never saw two people load a trailer with bales as fast as my wife and I did when the rain began!

Loaded Bale Trailer

Sunday, July 5, 2009: Wow, big thunderstorm today (NOT!). A full 0.02" of rainfall. Even one or two thunder rumbles were heard. Otherwise, it was sunny to partly sunny. Quite warm at times and just a few lingering clouds around late in the day. Some testing of the baler took place today. It still needs work as the knotting system is not working correctly.

Testing the Baler

Saturday, July 4, 2009:

Friday, July 3, 2009: The continuing days of sunshine and dry weather allowed for the second step of the hay making process. Today, I raked through the windrows in the paddock. With another couple of dry days expected, I should be able to test the baler soon. This evening, the dogs enjoyed resting near the fire ring as I did the evening cookout.

Raking the Paddock Windrows

Dogs Resting near the Fire Ring

Thursday, July 2, 2009: The season for making hay began today here at the ranch. I cut the grass in the winter paddock and in a couple of days the baler will try to create some square meals for the horses winter enjoyment.

Rows of Grass Behind the Swather

Swathing the Winter Paddock (Youtube Video)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009: The month of July began as June ended. Sunny, warm, and dry.

Merged Images for the View East this Evening

Intermediate Step in Trilogy - Testing the Baler

2009-07-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 5, 2009: Today was spent in trial and error mode to test the hay baler. The field test in the small area resulted in a single bale being tied. More adjustments were done, but only the top knots were in the twine during the morning testing. A quick shower moved through during the early afternoon and that gave me another block of time to try to adjust the knotters. A final late day test resulted in the outside twine 'sometimes' tying a knot, but breaking loose and no knots anywhere for the inside string. Back to the Operator's Guide and try it all again another day!

The Trilogy Continues -- Part II -- Raking Windrows

2009-07-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

Friday, July 3, 2009: Part II. Raking the Windrows.

The cut grass was ready to be rolled over a couple of times. Just have to combine a couple of the thin rows and turn over the heavy ones so the bottom can dry. The most difficult part of the smaller paddocks is there is a lot of turning around needed to rake the rows together.

Beginning of the Trilogy: Swathing, Raking, Baling

2009-07-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

I. Swathing: (July 2, 2009)

The first phase of the three step grass processing began today. I swathed the winter paddock and corral and the area around where the baler, swather, trailer, and other equipment resides. This is step one of the trilogy that goes into making hay. I need to rake during the next day or so, and then see if the baler is going to work. Since I broke the needles on the baler late during the last baling season, I need to see if the replaced needles will work. Actually using the equipment is really the only way to test it. So, hopefully, the needle action will be correct, knots will be tied, and hay bales will drop out of the back of the baler. I should know the result in a couple of days!

June Monthly Weather Summary

2009-06-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

The entries in this posting come from the daily blog at Wunderground. Sometimes I make a few changes here, but most of the time, the blog is just captured, edited slightly to have the images fit the blogger format, and the posting is saved. Normally, I post daily at Wunderground and just add this entry at the end of the month represented in this posting title.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009: Sunny and mild day today in NW Montana. The creek flow was increased due to a release of water from upstream. Otherwise, dry conditions continue. The grass in the pastures varies from long and healthy in the two pastures that were flooded over this spring, to short and varied in the upper dry areas.

Long Grass and View to the Old Barn

Monday, June 29, 2009: It was another clear day in NW Montana. The evening sky had an interesting color to it tonight.

Morning Sun on Box Elder

Evening Sky behind West Trees

Sunday, June 28, 2009: Just like it was in Missoula, it was a sunny, warm, dry day again in NW Montana. I returned to the ranch late in the day as the dogs sniffed around the trees.

Dogs in the Evening Sunlight

Evening Panorama East Views (merged three images)

Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28, 2009: Senior Softball Tournament in Missoula.

Softball Tournament (Slide Show)

Limited Views of Missoula (not a tourist this weekend) (Slide Show)

Friday, June 26, 2009: Today was just like yesterday: Sunny, dry, and nice temperatures. Today, just a few clouds decided to show up in the afternoon.

View East with just a Touch of Clouds

Thursday, June 25, 2009: It was a sunny, warm, and dry day in NW Montana.

Afternoon View to the East

Wednesday, June 24, 2009: Return from Minnesota to Montana. This was a travel day with the flight from Minneapolis to Kalispell. A window seat provided an opportunity to see what the camera could capture from the sky.

Flying from Minnesota to Montana (Slide Show)

Back at the Ranch ... Evening Views (Slide Show)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009: The day began with the same calmness that ended the day before. With the cool night and moisture, a heavy fog hung over the lake for a couple of hours in the morning. Clearing followed, and made for another gorgeous day in the wilderness of northeast Minnesota. This was departing day though, and the trip across the lake completed a wonderful stay in northeast Minnesota.

Fog, to Sun, and another Lake Crossing (Slide Show)

Monday, June 22, 2009: Another wonderful rest day today in Northeast Minnesota. Weather-wise, an overnight shower cooled down the night and made the morning a little wet and humid. There was a chance for another hike of the portage trail. The evening meal (usually a cookout over an open fire) was a great rib-roast that left everyone fat and happy. After the meal, the calm evening made for a great time to view the lake from the dock. The water was still and beautiful.

Scenes of the Day in NE Minnesota (Slide Show)

Sunday, June 21, 2009: This was a great rest day in NE Minnesota. After yesterday's marathon, it is nice way to recover from the 26.2 mile run, and the previous three months (and over 600 miles) of training. Just enjoy the day, hike a little, swim a little, eat a little, drink as necessary. I love it!

Resting and Relaxing in Northeast Minnesota (Slide Show)

Saturday, June 20, 2009: Today was the trip to Duluth to run Grandma's Marathon. This was marathon number 37 for me. A warm day greeted the runners with temperatures in the middle 60's and relative humidity in the 90's at the start of the race. It got warmer through the day. After the marathon, it was a drive up to Burntside Lake in NE Minnesota and a cruise across the lake for rest and relaxation for the next few days.

Grandma's Marathon ... I finish my 24th Grandma's! (Slide Show)

Crossing Burntside Lake and the Guest Quarters (Slide Show)

Friday, June 19, 2009: A day for a trip to Duluth to pick up the race packet. Later, there was time for a visit to the Woods Place and an evening cruise around Sand Lake on the pontoon boat.

Visit to Duluth to Pickup Race Packets (Slide Show>

Woods Place Visit and Pontoon Cruise (Slide Show)

Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18, 2009: Travel days and visiting with family in Minnesota.

Travel and Family (Slide Show)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009: The day was sunny and mild. This was the first day of my trip to Minnesota and the last morning line-up of the horses for a week.

Horses before Morning Release to Grazing Paddocks

Tuesday, June 16, 2009: Partly cloudy start to what became a mostly sunny day. The cumulus again popped up with even a quick light afternoon shower.

Afternoon Clouds at the Ranch

Monday, June 15, 2009: Sunrise under hanging clouds this morning. The day was a mix of high to mid clouds and some sessions of sunny and partly sunny times. By evening, it again was mostly cloudy with some light late evening sprinkles (right after the softball games), but, not enough to spoil the party day.

Sunrise on Just another Day in NW Montana

Sunday, June 14, 2009: Some clouds remained overnight as a remnant of yesterday's evening showers. During the early morning, these clouds began to burn away. The forecast if for the chance of new cloud development later in the day today.

Morning View East with Lingering Cloud Cover

Saturday, June 13, 2009: It was a mostly sunny weather day at the ranch today. Just those billowing cumulus again. However, today, they managed to group together a bit more during the early evening. Rain and strong winds were around the area for about a half an hour or so. Just a bit of rainfall was accumulated. It was enough to settle the dust for the evening.

Clouds East of the Ranch this Afternoon

Friday, June 12, 2009: It is one of those peaceful feeling days of late spring. Not quite summer yet, but the blue sky and floating clouds drifting through the day.

Clouds Over Lake Cabin

Thursday, June 11, 2009: Not so cold overnight with some drifting clouds hanging about to keep the frost away for a change. The day way sunny and had just a scattering of clouds.

Sunny Day and Evening

Wednesday, June 10, 2009: A year ago on this day we had 3" of snow here in NW Montana. Today, no snow! Although, it was cool enough for a light frost this morning, the combination of the frost and fog quickly burned away and resulted in a wonderful "blue sky with just the right amount of clouds" pre-summer day. The temperature stayed fairly cool, and quite pleasant!

The Morning Sun Burns Away the Fog

Tuesday, June 9, 2009: It was cool overnight with frost on the deck this morning. The outdoor plants (some tomatoes and the marigolds) have been challenged a couple of times since being allowed out on their own! Sunny sky was present during the morning. Just a bit of development of clouds after some of the early morning ground fog and low clouds dissolved.

Mix of Clouds, Sun, and Fog this Morning

Monday, June 8, 2009: The clouds that arrived late yesterday continued to be present overnight. By early morning (like 4:00 AM or so, according to the recording rain gauge) rain began to fall. It was heavy at times and resulted in over 0.40" by the time it ended in mid-morning. The early afternoon was a mix of low clouds and still some light showers. I went out for a run and noticed the hills west of the ranch had a fresh coating of snow near the tops (the morning rain was quite cold, no wonder!). The clouds began to break during the afternoon. By early evening, a nice mix of clouds, blue sky, and sunshine had returned to the area.

Evening Clouds to the Southeast along with Blue Sky

Sunday, June 7, 2009: A clear, cool, and much calmer start to the day today. Cumulus developed around the edges during the morning and mid day, but no showers developed. With the lighter wind, it was a much more pleasant day today than it was yesterday. Late in the day, the clouds became thicker, and it was mostly cloudy at the last animal check just before dark.

Longeing Harmony at Rebecca Farm

Saturday, June 6, 2009: Strong north winds overnight brought with them a break in the dry days of this month by giving some overnight rain. The breezes continued to be quite strong through the morning and for most of the day. That didn't stop my wife from doing a dressage ride in a local horse show (and doing quite well, in-spite of the wind! Cool conditions were the rule of the day and kept the light snow visible on higher hills around for most of the day.

Patti on Wanita after Dressage Test

Friday, June 5, 2009: Today started clear, and mostly calm. By early afternoon some Cu can be seen popping up to the south and east. The forecast is calling for a chance of rain and even a thunder shower. June has been completely dry so far and is historically the wet period before the full dry-out typical for July through late August.

Hazy Afternoon Sky with some Clouds Developing

Thursday, June 4, 2009: Mostly sunny and continued very dry today. (See Life, One Day at a Time for more daily activities).

Dusty Morning Air over the Horses

Wednesday, June 3, 2009: Cool overnight. Sunny, nice day around the ranch.

Morning Sunshine on the Old Barn

Tuesday, June 2, 2009: More sunshine than clouds today. The wind was lighter today and still a bit cool.

Morning Walk along the Upper Fence Line

Monday, June 1, 2009: Today was variably cloudy and cooler. The wind shifted to the north overnight and the temperature did not get as warm as it has been for the last several days. No precipitation fell during the weather change event. Overnight wind, and the wind during the day today was quite strong.

Morning Sunrise Sky

Night Animal Check

Marathon Over ... Now, just One Day at a Time

2009-06-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

The training period for the marathon is probably the most intense time period during the year. Even when I run a second marathon, the training for the first marathon of the year totally exceeds whatever is done for the second event. After the marathon, I normally do not run at all for at least a week. Sometimes a couple or three. Since I seem to have a lingering injury from the training period this year, it will probably be a couple of weeks without running. I still have an on-going pain in the upper left leg (possibly just some over used tendons or muscles, hopefully nothing more extreme, like a stress fracture or some other hip joint problem). The next couple of weeks should give a better sense as I rest a bit.

Normally, the trip to run the marathon is my only away from the ranch travel of the year. This year, as a quick follow-up, I have journeyed to Missoula for a Senior Men's Softball Tournament at the Fort Missoula Sports Area. The softball event is a good switch from ranch projects that will soon follow (baling, and all other projects related to getting ready for the change of seasons that takes place way too fast).

This is a good life!

Marathon Day - Day 112

2009-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 20, 2009: Marathon Day in Duluth, Minnesota. The day was clear and warm. A half-marathon started one hour before the marathon. At that time, the temperature was in the middle 60's with the humidity showing 99%. It was at least as warm at the beginning of the marathon at 7:30 AM. I decided to go into the starting area bin and stand with the group near the expected 5:30 time pacer. Sweat was running like in a sauna, even before the group began moving. One of the race sponsors, Cliff Bars, has a pre-race sign-up where individuals that expect to run a particular pace, get a race singlet, and carry a placard and balloons indicating the pace time (3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, etc.) This allows those who want to run with a pacer to easily see where to run within the crowd (6,300+ runners were in the starting bin today). Due to my slower running lately, I decided to pace out with this group. It took over six minutes to cross over the starting chip reading pads after the race began. The pace was a slow walk for most of that. After crossing the starting pad, the race pace was fine and within my training pace. I actually decided to increase my pace and passed the 5-hour pace group before the six mile mark. The conditions were still quite warm but a good head-wind breeze took place between the six and nine mile section of the course. Even with the warm conditions, I did not take any water until the ten mile water tables.

My pace continued to be within my training level through the half-marathon mark. For some unknown reason, about that time, my left ear plugged much like happens when going through an elevation change. I ran with it for a little longer, but within the next mile or so I decided to alternate walking and running to see if the ear plug would clear. But it did not. I continued the alternating walk 1/2 mile, run 1/2 mile until about the 20 mile marker. At that time, the 5:30 pace group was around me and I decided to pace with them for a while again. I did this through the section of the course when the run is going up Lemon Drop Hill. The group pacer switched to a walk at that time, but since most of my training is up and down hills, I kept on running. I ran most of the rest of the race through downtown Duluth just doing the walk during the water stops to sip a bit of water and to pour water over my head to cool down. Some of the water was quite warm at this time so I actually took separate cups of ice and poured water into the ice to cool it a bit. This was the first marathon that I have actually poured water over my head as a cool down procedure. As the race entered the last mile, I even implemented my tradition (from early marathons and races) that I did not want to let anyone pass me during the last mile of the run. It was mostly the case with just a short section when I slowed down a bit and a couple of runners did pass me. But, it was a good finish and I felt fine going through the medal line and while getting my finisher shirt and pre-race bag. So, I completed another marathon. This was Grandma's Marathon number 24 for me and marathon number 37 in total. I will probably run another!

Marathon results : Entrants: 8,377; Starters: 6,366; Finishers: 5,983 ... My summary: 5:34:47 (gun time), 5:28:33 (chip time); 5,024 out of 5,983 finishers; 3,244 out of 3,710 men finishers; 70 out of 104 in my age group : 26.2 miles completed!

Marathon Training - Day 108

2009-06-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 16, 2009: This is the last scheduled day of marathon training for the upcoming event. It was a pretty disappointing day, running training wise, since I had originally showed a 20 mile run today to end the training. Instead, I was only able to do a walk-run combination for a total of five miles. (But, it gave me a chance to stop and talk to the road-side horses one last time). Something continues to not be right in the muscles/tendons/core of my left leg, so it limited me to stretching walks and short jogs. I didn't think 20 miles of this combination would be of any benefit, so, it was the 5-miler to finish the training program. I was close to the total goals for the period beginning March 1st with my running miles showing a total of 606.6 miles versus the planned total of 617 miles. Not bad over the course of the 108 day training period! Also, I did a bit better with some cross-training biking this year, although, I still did far less biking than I could have. Hopefully, the marathon day will be a good day, both weather-wise and running-wise. I am running as number 177 again this year when Grandma's marathon takes place on Saturday, June 20th. Marathon Log for today: Walk/run 5.3 miles. Training totals: 606.6 miles VS 617 in the training plan!

Marathon Training - Day 107

2009-06-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 15, 2009: Just about done with the marathon training for this event. 'One More Day!'. Wednesday is a travel day to Minnesota. Thursday is another travel day from Minneapolis to Sand Lake (near Moose Lake). Friday is packet pickup day in Duluth. And Saturday is the Grandma's marathon event. So, today could have been the last "long run day" (or, maybe tomorrow). But, instead, still favoring some kind of soreness in my upper left leg, I just jogged out for a five-miler. Going slower allowed me to notice and photograph some road-side roses. Also, since I had two softball games tonight, I didn't want to overdo the running training. It was a good day for a run with partly to mostly cloudy sky when I did the run, and temperatures in the 60's. Also, in keeping with that, it was also a day to increase my move into the 60's, with today being my 61st birthday. (Happy birthday to me, (do, dah, do, dah)). Marathon log information: Run: 5.2 miles; Cross-traing (if softball playing counts): 2 games; Indoor cycle: 10:05 minutes/3.0 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 106

2009-06-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 14, 2009: I just kicked back for a rest day today. No run, just a walk with the dogs in the morning and a short spin on the indoor cycle late in the afternoon. Marathon log for the day: Run: 0; Cross-training indoor cycle: 2.65 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 105

2009-06-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 13, 2009: This was a great repeat of my running of the last few days. This morning was clear, mild, and dry and I decided to do my run during the usual mid-day time-frame. This was another fairly slow run, but I was able to do the full run again. During the run I noticed the young trees that have been growing in the stumps of what once were large trees along the road. As my running training for this marathon is winding up I thought about the importance of the old life that supports the new growth in my days. There was a time when I ran much faster. But now, with my running training and my life at a bit of a slower pace, I continue to see how the balance of the old and the new help to keep life growing. Today, after the marathon training run, I also did a cross-training bike ride into town and back. Log for the day -- Run 8.2 miles; Cross-training Bike Ride: 13.4 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 104

2009-06-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 12, 2009: Out and a about for a mid-morning run today. The blue sky was supporting building cumulus above all of the ranches on the way up the hill. My run today was again to the Lupine Meadows gate. I didn't notice any of the usual animals along the running route today. The horses that have been up the road were seen earlier just above the ranch. With the warmer temperature, the cattle were probably higher up the hill in the woods, too.
It was a good run with just slight stops for picturing the scenes. The weather was mild with the temperature already climbing into the low 70 range. Running log for today -- Run: 8.2 miles. Cross training was just hitting the softball around a little while Taffy fetched the ball for me.

Marathon Training - Day 103

2009-06-11T20:41:00.001-07:00

Thursday, June 11, 2009: I was going to get a long run done today, but some in town appointments made me change my plan. As a result, I repeated the training runs I have been doing lately and headed up the Ashley Lake to Sherman to the Lupine Meadows gate route. Some lingering stiffness in my hip kept me from running for the first mile. In fact, I thought about just walking back and giving the run plan a rest. But, as I got to the gravel road I decided to jog slowly. Everything felt fine, so I continued up the hill to the gate. I managed to slowly jog the full route (with the exception of the first mile of walking). Light clouds and sunshine dominated the day and made for a good run, after-all. Marathon log: Run 8.2 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 102

2009-06-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 10, 2009: A cool start today kept the temperature comfortable even for a late morning run. I am keeping up the eight mile runs but still holding off on the last long run. (Still some soreness in my left leg, and I decided to keep the mileage down a bit). During the run today, the cattle were resting along the side of the road. We've had some rain over the last couple of days and it has keep the meadows and grassy areas green with the new growth. Mileage log for today: 8.2 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 101

2009-06-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 9, 2009: Another of the eight mile runs up to the Lupine Meadows gate. It was a return to a great running day with cool temperatures and partly cloudy to cloudy conditions (no sun-stroke, today). Events of the run included a chat with one of the neighbors up that way and just observing the animals along the way (today, a pig joined the list of the animals noticed while running). In addition, there were horses here and there, again, and, the dog named Oreo was out in a pasture watching for gophers to pop-up. While running down the road from the top turn-around, I noticed almost all of the new snow was gone. Just the ski runs at Blacktail Mountain still showed some of the accumulation from overnight Sunday. Marathon log -- Run: 8.2 miles. (Cross training will be a softball game, later today).

Marathon Training - Day 100

2009-06-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 8, 2009: I was almost going to play my "weather rest day" card today. It was raining (and fairly cool (high 30's and low 40's)). However, around mid-day, the clouds weren't dropping much rain, so, out I went for a run. It was a good thing, too, since this is Day 100 in my training program, it would have been a real shame to not have a running session to log. As I started my run, it was more apparent why the morning temperatures were so cool. There was new snow visible on the west hills. If I had decided to do the Ashley Lake pass run, I probably would have run through the snow level. Instead, I decided to again do the Sherman Road route. No bears this time, just a passing dog, a turkey or two, some horses, and the visible snow to the west. I ran the full route (except when photographing animals and snow scenes) and it was a nice running day after-all. The marathon log today: 8.2 miles. Training log for 100 days: 555 miles (553 in the training plan ... so I'm still doing pretty good).

Marathon Training - Day 99

2009-06-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 7, 2009: I took the day off from marathon training today. Just some ranch chores, horsing around work, and hitting the softball across the pastures for some swinging practice. Marathon training log: 0 miles ... no recordable cross training, either.

Marathon Training - Day 98

2009-06-06T19:53:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 6, 2009: A change in the weather today with strong north winds and cool temperatures. There was even some fresh snow visible at some of the higher elevations. I got out for my run a just about noon and decided to duplicate the eight mile run up to Lupine gate. It seemed a rather normal run, with the exception of the bear I saw while on the downhill run (about 1/2 mile from the turnaround gate). Unfortunately, I was slow in my remembering to get my camera out, but, I did take a picture of the woods area where the bear went up the hill. Interestingly, close viewing of the image did not show a bear, but rather a deer hidden in the woods. The bear might have been there somewhere too, however; I could not see it in the image. It was a bit of a surprise to see the hidden deer, what with a bear just going up that way, but maybe it was a doe hiding with its' fawn. The remainder of the run was finished uneventfully. Mileage log for today -- Run: 8.3 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 97

2009-06-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 5, 2009: We're starting to push the limit for clear and dry running days in a row, however, I got another one today. It was sunny, with just a little breeze, and some cooling shadows remaining, as I did the eight-miler up to Lupine Meadows gate and back. I ran the full distance and felt pretty good. No cross training has been done as I write this, but I may still do a bike ride and some softball hitting, before the weather changes on me! Marathon Training Log: Run 8.329 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 96

2009-06-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 4, 2009: Another of a string of sunny and dry days. Perfect again for a training run (if I would only start earlier in the day when the temperature is cooler). Instead, I began my training run shortly before noon.

Since I did the long run yesterday, I decided to make today just a short four-miler. It was an out and back on the black-top and then just a mile up Sherman Road. I was able to do a full time run for this training outing (although still not very fast). Let the training log show: 4.1 miles; Cross Training bike ride later in the afternoon: 13.4 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 95

2009-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 3, 2009: A cool sunny day meant deciding to do the long run, finally! I filled a couple of water bottles, one to drop at the one mile mark (that also became the the nine mile mark, and the 15 mile mark). I carried the other up the pass toward Ashley Lake. It was a sunny and pleasant mid morning when I started the run. This was a day when I thought I would give the bruised leg a try for the distance of anywhere from 10 to 16 miles. The run up the hill was pretty good with some walking during the steepest sections, but, mostly jogging and slogging along. I did the turn-around at about 5.2 miles. Doing the trip back downhill felt pretty good. So, at the water bottle drop I decided to head up the gravel road to the Lupine Meadows gate. I did do a walk/run mix up the road to the gate. Again, the downhill was a bit easier, so I was able to mostly run. For the final mile section on the black-top, I did walk a bit during the return to the ranch. Overall, it was good distance effort, even though it was not a speed record. Mileage log -- Run (walk, too): 16.43 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 94

2009-06-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 2, 2009: I've had to make some adjustments to my planned training schedule for the last week or so. A bouncing ball that short-hopped into my left shin last Wednesday has resulted in a bit of a bruise and some modified running abilities. Today (yesterday, and even the day before) should have been one of my long runs of 20 miles or so. Instead, I just did the quick two-miler yesterday and today managed only a six miler. I did my run today during the late morning and just ran the Batavia black-top to the Sherman Road gravel route for another out and back. Horses along the Batavia section managed to pose for a few photos. Later in the day, I also did a cross-training bike ride into Kalispell. Log for the day -- Run: 6.231 miles; Bike: 13.53 miles.

Marathon Training - Day 93

2009-06-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 1, 2009: It was a late afternoon quick run today. I used the run as a warm-up for my softball game tonight. I did just a quick two-miler run out to the Sherman Road cutoff and back. No special other cross training, just the evening softball game. Marathon training log: 2.112 miles.