I have a guardian angel Who is faithful – yes, indeed! He’s saved me from disaster, Been there for every need.
An angel guarded Angela, Our Boston Terrier pup, From dying when a rattlesnake Bit her on her butt!
You have a guardian angel Who’s watching over you. I hope that you are grateful And careful on your feet, too.
Sunday in church our pastor Read a poem that touched my heart. It conjured up my angel; Who’s compassionate and smart.
Yours is, too!! In fact, YOU may BE somebody’s angel! Serving love with glee.
“The World I Live In” Mary Oliver
God of Grace, help us to see Your angels at work among us, lighting upon the unhoused in the street, delivering cups of coffee, Ziploc bags full of toiletries, and deli sandwiches.
Help us honor Your angels with our praise and gratitude – the patient teacher, the loving parent, the determined wildfire fighter, the volunteer rescue worker, the visitor of the elderly, the sick and the imprisoned.
Give us eyes to see, O God, your angels at work and help us be among their ranks.
Click the link below and enjoy listening to Alabama sing for us “Angels Among Us.”
This is “Lucille.” Yesterday we joined 12 friends and went on a trail ride into the Gravelly Range above Antelope Basin.
Lucille is our ATV (all terrain vehicle). Because she’s a redhead on whom we have a ball, we named her after the actress/comedian, Lucille Ball.
Are you old enough to remember her?
Anyway, we met at Antelope Basin about 50 miles south-west of Ennis, and took the trails through the Gravelly Range to our destination of Hidden Lake.
It was a blue-sky-perfect day with temperatures not rising above 80 degrees. We had not been up to this site for over a year. In the meantime forest fires had ravaged the trees and changed the landscape.
This tree was lush and green last time we were here.
We stopped and chatted with our friends awhile before taking a lunch break.
Good buds: Sherry Riggs and Penny Hocking
TazE was quite interested in what Rex & Penny Hocking were getting from Linda Schott. Mmm … fresh and yummy Flathead cherries!
TazE was interested in Bob’s Cheetos, too!
After lunch we traveled on up to the lookout above Henry’s Lake.
The wildflowers were prettier than I have ever seen them this late in the summer. We had quite a wet spring and that helped!
Traveling back down, we could see our Madison Valley in the distance.
We gathered to take a group photo of our ATV friends. And then some couples and quartets, too.
Top left: Kris & Bob (CG’s cousin) with CG & Caroline Bottom left: Penny & Rex Right: Sue & Bob Welna
Here are our five ATV’s. You can see that Lucille stands out among all those earth tones!
Most of the way to and fro the trail was a road also traveled by cowboys in their pickups, tending the the cattle up in the verdant fields.
Some of the trail was rocky, steep and pretty hairy. But, we managed just fine… and I am so grateful that Bob and I both had enough stamina to enjoy the trip.
We Thank the Lord for our neighbors/friends (the Welnas and Hockings) who came to help Bob prepare Lucille for the trip, and then returned this morning to help him put her back away. God bless them!!
Maybe you’ll come join us one of these days for a Montana trail ride. Ya think?
I’d be tickled to see you!
Just give me a call and let me know when you’re coming. We’d love to see you and treat you to a Montana trail ride!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Click on the link below if you’d like to enjoy Dale Evans & Roy Rogers (my favorite cowboy) singing “Happy Trails to You.”
Enjoying Sunday Remembering Saturday And Fish on Friday
Sunday began with this prayer-filled good morning photo from my friend Lisa in North Carolina
After church, Sunday continues with our TazE needing attention and us trying to just relax!
Saturday memories include a wonderful evening shared with Bob and dozens of friends at the Madison Valley Ranchland’s annual “Noxious Weed Dinner and Auction.”
Check out Bonny Morningstar Guzzo on Facebook to see her wonderful pictures of that highly successful event.
Friday memories include our walk along the Madison River in Lion’s Club Park where this beautiful painted fish sculpture greets us.
The painting on the fish inspires the Haiku poet in me.
“Father, please teach me I want to learn how to fish To fish like you, Dad“
Back home, the clouds keep the day cooler as the sun plays peek-a-boo The trees provide welcomed shade And the birds serenade you
The breeze causes the wind chimes To sing a lullaby Reminding me of my sis, Sally She’d love this place as much as I
The deer come quietly to rest Beneath the shade of verdant trees They promise not to nibble But who can trust deer like these?
Time to think about a meal Don’t know what I’d like to cook Need to go check out the fridge Maybe left-overs -Have a look!
Mmmm… I can see shrimp Waiting for the coconut Time to make the sauce
Hope all is well with you. Thanks for sharing my weekend memories vicariously with me.
Now it is your turn What are your best memories Of this great weekend?
This is the image of the Caldron fire in Amador County, California… only 14% contained … with strong winds moving it northeast toward Tahoe. According to our daughter-in-law today, the fire has grown to 177,260 acres and has destroyed 653 homes.
The line on the right shows you the 5.77 miles from the fire to our granddaughter’s house yesterday. Today it has moved closer and ALL residents (22,000) of South Lake Tahoe have been evacuated. They have only one exit highway open – and it leads to Nevada.
The line on the left shows the 5.49 miles from the storm yesterday to our son’s house. The purple dot in the fire’s “mouth” shows the place where the home is of our son’s friends – the ones who were evacuated and are now living in Placeville with Ty and Monika.
It is hard in the midst of such danger, loss of property, loss of homes, loss of lives and livelihoods, to keep a positive attitude. But, we cannot allow ourselves to despair!
Trust is a huge key to sanity!
Gratitude is a huge key to sanity!
For our granddaughter, Faith, and her husband, Kyle, the running water they are appreciating today may not be from their own faucet, but it is in the home of life-long friends of her other grandparents…
… and they were able to evacuate their home with some clothes… not just the pajamas they were wearing like some who were rushed out of their homes in the dark of the night…
… and they have food, love, shelter, and their dog! Of course, there is so much for which to be grateful!
I prayed for Faith & Kyle’s safety. I prayed for our son & his wife’s safety.. They are safe. Thank You, God!
But, as I thank God for the safety of my loved ones, I am remembering to be especially thankful for the firefighters who continue day and night to try and save people’s lives, homes, our forests, and our cities/towns/businesses. God bless our firefighters!
Keep smiling (if you can) through the storms of life… And try not to let the struggles get you down. They are designed to strengthen us!!
Remember the scripture that says,
Psalm 46:1-2,
7 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea; The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”.
My grandson, Sam, told me a few days ago, “Grammy, just wear dark glasses.” Don’t forget to listen to the advice of your kids – they are smarter than you realize!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love, JanBeek
Be a friend to a firefighter Be a friend to your neighbor Be a friend who gives someone in need a reason to smile today.
“ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
My Prayer for Today
“Gracious God, how grateful I am to rest secure in Your grip forever.”
God’s Not Gonna Lose Me
In today’s devotional time, Daily Guideposts 2021 reminded me that while I may misplace my sunglasses or my phone occasionally, God never misplaces me!
In his comments, Bill Giovannetti recalled a time when his daughter asked him, “What if I lost God? Or what if God lost me?”
Her younger brother responded, “Right, Josie, you’re the only person in the whole wide world that God forgot about!”
Reading Romans 8:38-39 together, Bill and his son reassured Josie and asked her, “If God keeps His Word, what is that verse telling you?”
“It’s telling me God never loses His sunglasses,” she said, “Or me!”
Today Bob & I celebrated my birthday (I’ll match Bob’s age – and be 82 tomorrow). Our hands certainly show the wear and tear of work and years!
But, like that hold God has on us, we’ve got a grip on one another – and we’re not letting go!
GG (Great Grandma Jan) with Xander
Taking a clue from us and God, Xander’s got a grip on his GreatGrandma Jan (GG – that’s me!) and he’s not letting go!
Sienna & Hope (my great-granddaughter and my granddaughter)
My great-granddaughter, Sienna, gets a grip on her mommy, my granddaughter, Hope. When children have a hold on loving, devoted parents, God smiles.
Sienna with Ty
It’s a double blessings when Grandpa gets down on the floor with his granddaughter. Our son Ty helped Sienna learn how to get a grip on puzzle skills.
Sienna with Monika
Children are blessed indeed when they have a grandma who reads to them. Sienna gets a grip on what books are all about with Grandma Monika’s help.
Hope, TazE, Sienna, and me
How special to get a grip on my great-granddaughter, Sienna, and her mommy, Hope … while they get a grip on TazE, our Boston Terrier!
Monika, Sienna, Hope and Bob
Not every family has the privilege of gathering 4 generations together! Get a grip on longevity … and the joy of embracing great-grandpa!
Xander and TazE
Such fun to see TazE getting along so well with Xander!
Xander decided he needed to get a grip on those puzzle skills, too.
Monika and Hope with Sienna & Xander… They sang Happy Birthday to help me get a grip on turning a year older. Not older… just more mature, right? So nice!
Ty & Monika brought their big dog, Nakota…
… and TazE had trouble getting a grip on having such a big buddy!
She was exhausted! Time to get under the table and get a grip on some rest!
Here is the Madison Valley and Range as seen from the Gravelly Range
We went on an adventure today into the Gravelly Range with our friend, Julie, and her dog, Zeke. Come enjoy the Montana Vistas with us!
The Gravelly Range is just south-west of Ennis. We were looking for wildflowers. This is the time of year when they usually are prolific. However, it has been a relatively dry spring and summer so far, so the flowers were not as colorful or plentiful as usual.
This field of flowers is irrigated – so they’re not the “wildflowers” we were looking for.
See that line up the mountain? That’s where we are headed.
We drove the pick-up with trailer to the base of our destination and took the ATV up from there.
Julie & Zeke rode in the back. TazE sat in my lap. Bob’s the driver.
TazE enjoyed the views. That mountain above TazE’s head is called the Sphinx.
The clouds made the sky so beautiful and interesting today, but they also threatened rain. Fortunately we had about an inch or two of rain last night, so it settled the dust. And it held off until we were headed back home this afternoon.
On the way up, we saw a lot more cattle than usual. Definitely more cattle than wildflowers!
Zeke was quite interested in the beauty of the Madison Valley vistas.
This is Caroline’s tree! We always think of her when we see it. Caroline loves tree skeletons!
As we climbed, the clouds moved out from the Madison Range and began to cover the valley.
This is a purple sticky wild geranium. Julie has an app on her iPhone that allows her to take a picture of a flower and then have the phone tell her the name of that flower. What a cool app! “Picture This” is the name I think. I need to check it out.
I can’t remember the name of this hairy wildflower. Isn’t it interesting?
We reached a place where the road was closed and we could go no further. So, we stopped and rested a while and let TazE and Zeke run around.
Julie took our photo, and while we were distracted, Zeke went out exploring.
Zeke found some wet, runny cow poop and thought it was great fun to roll in it!
Like I said, there were more cows than wild flowers, so of course, there were plenty of places for an inquisitive pup to explore!!
Julie was intrigued by some of the leaves.
I walked beyond the closed gate and took this photo of the US Forest Service sign and the field of wildflowers beyond it.
They were more brilliant than this photo shows.
Heading back down the mountain, the cows bellowed at us! They were not happy that we were disturbing their peace.
The one we enjoyed earlier was still there on our way down.
TazE continued to enjoy the views with us.
The sprinkler systems keep the fields green in spite of our near drought conditions.
The storm clouds threatened … and we got a few raindrops on our way back to the pickup.
See the squall on the other side of the valley? You can see that it is raining there.
Ah, home – with great memories of beautiful Montana Vistas!
And a beautiful sunset ended our day…
Thank you for sharing our beautiful Montana Vistas with us.
I hope you had a beautiful day, too. Embrace Montana Vistas. Come visit us!
Embrace family time Our relatives are God’s gifts Cherish time with them!
Bob & me with our son, Ty, his wife, Monika, & son, Sam, and her parents, Ruthie & Darrell, and our grand-nephew, Liam
Lake Tahoe fun A beautiful blue sky day Comfortable breezes
Combined ages equaled 112 Ruthie & Kyle celebrated together
Faith and Kyle have a new puppy “Poppy” will be a big dog before too long!
Visiting Faithy And her brand new big puppy Was a real treat
Two legs on the stairs The other two on the floor Poppy knows comfort!
Cosette in the puppy pool
Our great-granddaughter Figured out how to cool off Showed pup what to do
Fun at Faith & Kyle’s in S. Lake Tahoe Our grandson, Jordan, (Daddy of Cosette) watched while Faith & Cosette cooled their feet… And then Cosette got totally wet and had to wear her dad’s t-shirt
Faith had great hors d’oruvres Then they barbequed chicken No one went hungry
Faith & Kyle’s home
When we returned from a tour of Lake Tahoe, we found a bear who had discovered the garbage bag with BBQed chicken bones
The bear climbed a tree To get away from people Too full to climb far!
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A view of Lake Tahoe
Jan & Bob at the lake
Monika & Ty (the gracious hosts)
Liam & Jodie (my niece & grand-nephew)
Faith (my granddaughter)
Darrell & Bob at Ty’s in Placerville Celebrating family birthdays
Ruthie & Darrell Payne
When our son’s in-laws Have time together with us, Never lost for words!
Celebrate birthdays Treasure the time together Thank God for family
Cosette on horsey
Children grow up fast Get together as often As possibly can
Store up memories Write – so you do not forget – Take lots of pictures!
They came from southern California – They came from Pennsylvania – They came from Sacramento – We came from Montana – There were 16 of us for dinner! When it’s shared family time, the more the merrier. Thank God for gracious family who share their homes, their beds, their food, their car… … and best of all, their love.
Cousins – Liam & Sam
Next time we’re together, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Liam is taller than Sam. Like this sugar pine tree, kids grow taller these days… Must be all that family love!
I pray you have a loving family, too… And you have many opportunities To share family time together.
A pup and kitty Best friends – inseparable Love that matching pair
Simple Love
Tucked under your chin I feel completely secure It’s true, simple love
Watching
Watching for a friend Positioned so demurely Aren’t I attractive?
Fawn is Flower
Tucked in beautifully Fawn waits patiently for Mom Remember Flower?
Beautiful Buck
Beside the lake’s edge A beautiful buck listens Are you thirsty, too?
Embrace Animal Photography
Embrace animals And those who photograph them They’re a happy lot
I hope my animal photographs Most of which are taken by an anonymous photographer Made you smile the way this darling baby and her pup are smiling They certainly cheered me!
janbeek 