Loving One Another

Posts tagged ‘Fishing’

Free to “Bee”


It’s a different kind of Independence Day weekend in the USA. Our little town of Ennis WILL have its annual rodeo tonight. Social distancing is easy in that outdoor venue. But we will not have the 4th of July parade. Our population of 1,000 grows on that day to about 6,000 typically – and the sidewalks are wall-to-wall people. So for public safety, it was cancelled. We are free to just BEE this year… and grateful to bee alive!

The rodeo will happen as usual, but the crowd will be greatly diminished.

We’ll miss the parade, but we’ll celebrate here at home –
quietly thanking God for our freedom and renewed health.

Yesterday Bob was delighted to be able to spend a day on the Madison River with our friend, Scott. The fishing was good – and the weather was beautiful. The wildlife were out enjoying the sunshine, too.

Scott took this picture of the moose who entertained the fishermen.

He managed to get four of the five fox babies in one photo. He said they were quite entertaining!

Yesterday while Bob was out fishing and I was recuperating from my surgery, a couple of my girlfriends and a dear couple from our church made sure I was well taken care of. Terry (on the left) made bran muffins for my breakfast and gave me a darling, soft and cuddly angel blanket. Elaine (on the right) brought lunch and we shared it as we visited for a couple of hours. Then later in the day other friends brought us a delicious dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes, salad, and cookies for dessert. Yum!!!

Today is Terry’s birthday! Happy Birthday to my sweet, beautiful friend.<3

I know I am super blessed to have such wonderful friends.
I hope you are equally gifted.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

On another topic, you may have noticed that yesterday’s blog “Learn to Say NO,” with a series of Haiku was all in capital letters. I was not intending to shout at you. I was just trying to enlarge this font that WordPress suddenly has decided to use as a default. I found out how to enlarge the first letter in each new text entry. That’s fun, but do you have advice for how I can default back to a larger text for the body of my posts?

I hope you’re having a fun-filled weekend…
even if it’s not the typical Independence Day celebration.
Happy 4th of July weekend!

Celebrate your FREEDOM to BEE!
See ya tomorrow.
Love from JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, Family, Fishing, friendship, Giving, Gratitude, health, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Montana, nature, relationships, Serving One Another

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He Left Us


He Left Us

He left us his roses and hydrangeas,
and his garden with zucchini,
but he forgot to take the old wheelbarrow,
and he forgot the bocci ball court.
He left his mother’s crucifix on my wall,
his watch in the top dresser drawer,
the Balsamic vinegar in the cupboard,
but he forgot to take his Gallo Burgundy.
He left in each of us his love of family,
his teary-eyed sentimentality, and he left
the aches and pains of his earthly body,
but he forgot to take his spray paint, and
his love of convertibles with the top down.
He left the wife he loved so faithfully,
the family and neighbors who miss him so,
and the unconditional love; but he
forgot the collection of nude calendars,
and he forgot to take his twinkle.
I know – I have it!

I thank God that my daddy and I had such a wonderful relationship. I am so grateful for Dad’s unconditional love and warm hugs. This photo was taken in the early 1960s when I was in college… home for Father’s Day weekend.

And here is my dad with Mom, “the wife he loved so faithfully,” at their 30th anniversary, back in 1968. Can you see the twinkle is his eye? He and Mom were married for nearly 60 years before he died in 1998.

Happy Father’s Day to my dear hubby, Bob, father of our children, Ty & DeAna. In this photo, he was enjoying a day out on the Madison River last year on Father’s Day weekend. The weather prevented us from getting out today, but the fish are waiting. We’ll get out there soon.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.
How will you spend YOUR day?

In another couple decades, when Bob & I leave this earth,
his poem will look far different from my dad’s.
Parts may be the same, because
he will leave his unconditional love
in the hearts of all who know him, but
other parts will be quite a contrast:
no Gallo Burgundy for him!
And he won’t leave his Runquist Wines behind… no way!!
It will all have been consumed…

Cheers, my friends!
(Sante’ – as we “prost” in Switzerland)

Enjoy your Father’s Day.
See ya tomorrow.
Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

children, Family, Fishing, God, Gratitude, holidays, Love, Memories, Montana, Poetry, relationships

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Image

Will You Be My Neighbor?


Two For Sale signs went up in our “hood” this week.

That Mercer sign is for a 7 acre parcel right next door to us.
We could be next-door neighbors!

The ERA sign is at the end of the cul-de-sac – just a stone’s throw away – down where you see the telephone poles in the first photo.

Mercer sign w our house

See, there’s our house up there –  just beyond the sign. Aren’t you looking for wide open spaces and Big Sky, fresh air and a friendly, cheerful, inclusive neighborhood? Here we are!! You can build your dream house right here.

Hocking House - blue sky

This beautiful home with the best neighbors imaginable, Rex and Penny, could be your neighbors … besides us, the Beekmans with the robin babies in our back yard. Hey, look closely! That one on the right has her eyes open!

2 baby robins

This nest is on this porch where I am sitting right now with my laptop, Rita and Robbie are coming and going, feeding their babies, paying no attention to me! I love it!!

The nest is in the shadow just left of the small bedroom window. My chair is in the sun with my tabletop in the shade. I have a bird’s eye view of the robin activity.

3 joggers - cartoon

This morning was a beautiful, sunny. warm, still day – perfect for a walk in Lion’s Club Park by the Madison River that is less than 5 minutes from us. I met a couple of TOPS friends and we walked around by the river, the baseball field, the playground…

Madison thru weeds

From this view of the river, there is a bench, a painted sculpted fish, and a gorgeous view of the Madison Range across the valley.

Come go for a walk with me. There are benches along the way, picnic tables, barbecue pits, a baseball field and a playground. Young children usually flock here. But, I was early. They started to arrive as I was leaving.

On the way to the post office after my walk, I passed another For Sale sign. Our friend, Niel, died recently after a long battle with cancer. His cozy little house in town is for sale. Maybe you’d prefer this. You’d be on a smaller lot in a more modest neighborhood downtown. Look at this lovely place. Interested? Call the ERA number on the sign at the top of this post.

Niel Kent house

Your neighbors across the street have this lovely tree – and these beautiful opium poppies. What a great little town our Ennis, Montana is!!

Driving home from there, I took the golf course route. Here’s the scene just a mile from our home:

They keep it well maintained and lots of our neighbors love getting out on the course on a day like today.

Peaceful, beautiful, clean, clear, friendly …
 … what more could you ask?

Oh, I forgot to add there’s a darling little lake at Lion’s Club Park where the kids can fish and keep the trout they catch. The Madison River has a “catch and release” policy to preserve the natives. And there’s an old tractor at the park where the kids can climb and pretend FARMER. We have a lot of cattle and wheat farming in our Madison Valley.

But it’s best known for the Madison River and the fly fishing.

fish on Madison - painting

Will you come and be my neighbor?
Caroline & Chuck are building right down the hill from us.
They’d be great neighbors for ya, too!!

CBD92DE9-1A2D-407B-9293-6BD4FCA70A8B
Have a Wonderful Wednesday.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Written

on May 27, 2020

Free to Do, Free to Bee…


Thank you, Guideposts, for your inspirational daily messages. On this Memorial Day that is so different from those past, I am grateful for the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.

Free to Live and Build

I am grateful for the freedom to live in this beautiful place in Montana where the robins sing, build their nests, lay their eggs, and feed their babies right outside my dining room window! I’m free to just bee… free to do nothing but sit and watch today… if that’s my choice!

I see that wall to the north of my dining room table. The window there leads to our bedroom.
I watched Rita and Robbie, the robin duo, build the nest and lay the eggs. Fifteen days later, they hatched!
Now Rita Robin brings worms to the babies.
They are hungry little robins, begging for more.
Rita Robin leaves… and Robbie Robin comes to feed them next! Robins mate for life. It is such fun to watch them take turns caring for the nest. Rarely is it left uncovered like this these days.

Free to Bee… Free to Recover…

I found this beautiful, stunned bird sitting on the front porch this morning. Is it a wren? It’s really tiny. Even when TazE (our Boston Terrier) went out to sniff at it, it didn’t move. It was free to just bee… bee still for a while. A half hour later, it was recovered – and thankfully flew away. Free to recover. Free to fly.


Free to Marvel

As I sit here and watch the robins take turns in the nest, I am eternally grateful to those service men and women who gave their lives that I might enjoy the peace I have today. Peace to sit here and marvel at nature. Free to enjoy the peace, and to FaceTime with my daughters across the continent and across the Atlantic.

De & Laina

Peace to watch Bob head off with a neighbor to fish the Madison today.

I hope he is free to catch a big one, like my friend Susan Phillips did this week… and then free to catch and release so someone else can be free to have the thrill of catching this beauty! Our Madison River has a “Catch & Release” policy because the trout all are natives… no “planting” allowed. It’s a world-class fly-fishing mecca!!

The pristine Madison River in Madison County, Montana

What are you free to do today?
Tell me about it.
And what are you most grateful for?

Bee grateful
You are free…
Free to
Bee silly…
Free to just Bee!

See ya tomorrow.
Have a Meaningful, Peaceful Monday.

Category:

Animals, blessings, children, contentment, Family, Fishing, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, nature, peace, relationships, Serving One Another

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I Love Good Art


“Good art is as close as people get to overcoming mortality.”
Nick J. Wood

Photo by Fiona Art on Pexels.com

How do we recognize “Good Art”?

Nick J. Wood wrote on his WordPress blog, Artfully Bridging The Ages — The Nature Of Art,
“… although the styles of expression change, it is the way it (art) touches the inner-self, the part normally obscured by mundane routine that confirms it as having artistic value.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Architecture is art as much as creating sculptures or painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I believe “good art” preserves history in a myriad of ways.

Photo by TravelingTart on Pexels.com

Sewing is an art. I have a quilt hand-sewn by Bob’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in 1933. Talk about history preserved!

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Photography definitely is an art. The way it preserves history is evident.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Yes, art takes on many forms; and artists come in every color, age and size. Who decides if you are an artist or not?

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Is poetry an art? Nick J. Wood posted this video on his blog. I love the poem and the voice recording it. Listen! You’ll love it, too.

How about gardening? Is it an art? Ask my friends, Lexi Sundell or Nancy Smrka, with their greenhouses… They’ll tell you! Ask Bob as he tends our spring flowers.

What about cooking? Yes, they call it “culinary arts” for a reason! My son-in-law, Andre’ is a chef who creates the most delicious, artistic plates imaginable. (This isn’t one of his… but you get the idea)

Music is an art, too. Through their gift of song and instrument, musical artists live on long after they have left this earth. Karen Carpenter died young. She suffered from anorexia. But she has overcome mortality – her voice lives forever in my heart.

Karen Carpenter
“How Could Anyone Mean More to Me than You?”
“One Love”

I love good art –
art in all its many forms.
And I love artists.
They are so predictable …

Hah! Don’t be fooled. This is a cute little cartoon/meme, but with artists being as diverse as they are, believe me, they are ANYTHING but predictable!

Here is an artist I love. He has a special spot in my heart. He and his wife, Lexi paint, garden, make jewelry, and create art by their very existence. Bernie Sundell is one of the first persons we met when we moved here. He helped Bob select and buy and go to Idaho Falls to buy his drift boat. He tutored him on rowing and casting and catching fish on the Madison and he painted a fabulous picture of Bob that hangs in our dining room. Here’s artist, fisherman, friend Bernie:

And here is the painting of Bob on the Madison River.
Bernie created it after one of their memorable outings.
It’s a beautiful rainbow trout –
but here it’s only catch and release!
Toss it back in, Bob!

Can you see why this painting
touches my “inner self”?
Bob & Bernie will live immortally in it!

Do you have a favorite form of art?
A favorite artist?
Do you create art?
Tell me about it.

Have a Terrific Tuesday.
See ya later.
JanBeek

Category:

art, Fishing, flowers, food, friendship, Love, Montana, photography, relationships

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When is it Enough?


Caught Enough?

Have you caught enough?
Not everyone in this world
Has caught enough fish.

Many without jobs
In this COVID-19 world
Are short of supplies.

Not every pantry
Is filled to overflowing.
Some have no pantry.

So what must we do?
Sit back and enjoy our life?
No, we’re called to share!

There is enough food
On this, our beautiful earth,
To provide for all.

The secret is: SHARE!
Just count your many blessings;
Reach out to others.

You will discover
The more you give, the more you
Have to give. That’s TRUTH!

Accumulation

Accumulation as a definition of success fails to realize that if you store up treasures on earth in excess of what you need, you may discover they bury you… and you really can’t access it all, anyway. How is that bunny gonna get that carrot outta the ground, huh?

On the other hand, if you’re all show and no growth, you won’t have enough to feed yourself, let alone give any away!

“All show” is that fancy car, extra large TV, more shoes and purses or wallets or clothes than you need, elaborate houses, etc. You get the picture. Spend it all on the “things that pass away” – and you will be one lonely fisherman!

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels.com

Generosity is the Key

It was the little things you did
The sacrifices that you made
The small donations from your little
The generosity from your abundance
That made such a difference
In the lives of others

Generosity is the key
To a richer, fuller life
Not the number of your barns
Filled to overflowing,
But the love you freely gave
From the depths of a grateful heart

I wish – Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life
appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.

I wish you enough gratitude to help you live with joy.
I wish you enough generosity to help you give generously.
I wish you enough health to give you strength to serve.
I wish you enough love to give it all away.

Whatever you send into the lives of others,
comes back in to your own.
But, do not give for what you can get,
give because you have been richly blessed.

I send lots of love and virtual hugs your way.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya later.

Category:

Belief, blessings, contentment, Faith, Fishing, food, Giving, Gratitude, Haiku, life, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing

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Get Some Fresh Air


Let’s get some fresh air.
Let’s for outside for a walk.
Go enjoy the birds!

Jose’ Luis Rodriguez

Social distancing
Is not for this bird cluster.
They’re ready to sing!

Michael Smith

Let’s sing a duet –
Sing with this Loggerhead Shrike.
Harmonize today.

Singing’s not your thing?
How about going out to fish?
The river’s calling!

Curtis Morgan on the Madison
Susan Phillips Photography

It’s easy to be
Six feet apart over here.
Come enjoy fishing!

That mountain’s the Sphinx;
It’s a landmark in these parts.
More from Susan’s lens:

Susan Phillips Photography

Listen to River
Singing its beautiful song.
It’s inviting you!

Let’s get some fresh air.
Go for a walk or go fish.
Let’s be creative.

Brian Christianson Photography

The clouds threaten snow
In my part of the world now,
But that won’t stop me.

Get some fresh air.
It’s good for your heart and soul.
See you tomorrow!

Hah!
Let’s isolate together.

Category:

Fishing, Haiku, health, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, mountains, nature, Poetry

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Friends, Food, Feathers, Music, Mustangs


This morning was the first of six community Lenten breakfasts. We held it at our church. The next five will be at five other churches in Ennis and Jeffers, Montana. Our topic today was HOPE. About 40 friends from around the community gathered to kick off this Lenten season with food and music, and a message of Hope, delivered by our Rev. Steve Hundley.

Breakfast was in our Fellowship Hall.

Our faithful friend, George and his wife, Lucy, arrived about 5:30 AM to set up the food, make the coffee and get ready for the 7:00 AM crowd.

After breakfast, in preparation for Steve’s message of HOPE, we sang this wonderful hymn. It lends direction to our hopes for this Lenten season and everyday… especially in this world of hatred, injury, doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. Let us determine to be the peace we seek to find.

So that’s the food and friends and music. What about the feathers? Yesterday I told you about my friend, Bernie, who is in the hospital and has set up quite an artistic “mess” on his tray table. Let me show you:

He has quite a menagerie of feathers there. Look at the flies he is able to create with them:

Yes, WOW!! That’s the feathers… and their creative use for catching some mighty big trout!

But what about the mustangs? Well, our Ennis High School mascot is the Mustang. When I drove by the school this morning, I had to top and take a picture for you of these MAGNIFICENT bronze mustangs. They were created by a local artist (Ennis is an art town with 6 art galleries in a place with a population of less than 1,000).

Aren’t they something?!!

I’ll try to find out the sculptor’s name and let you know later. It’s important to give him/her credit!

But for now, I am headed to my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group. I hope I didn’t gain too much with those scrumptious egg casseroles this morning. I had to try a little of each!

Look for that trophy again… I want to be the biggest loser. I have 6 more pounds to take off to get back to my goal weight.

See ya later!

Category:

art, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Serving One Another

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Some of My Favorite Montana Scenes


Some of you are new to JanBeek, and maybe you have not had a chance to peruse my blog enough to see this beautiful area around Montana’s Madison Valley where I live.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the scenery around me:

I found this one on the web and did a screen shot.
In the springtime, Bob & I take our ATV up to this outlook.
The wild flowers are magnificent
and the snow-capped mountains are breath-taking!
(God is quite an artist, isn’t He?)
I think this one was taken by my favorite photographer, Ed Coyle,
but he usually has his name on his.
So, if it’s not… and you know who took it,
please let me know.
I love it!!

Our fall colors are so beautiful and the “Big Sky” filled with wonderful cloud structures never fail to amaze me. We are so blessed to be here.

I love this one with the cattle out in the snow.

That was the scene that greeted us when we returned home late January from a 5 week vacation in California. The winter break was good, but it’s always good to be home!

My friend, Susan Phillips, took this one.

The Madison River runs through our little town of Ennis.
It’s a fly-fishing mecca!!
Can you feel the peace of the river?

My friend, Caroline Feldman, posted this one.
I think she took it on one of her ATV ventures with CG.
Go to Ed Coyle’s website, click “LOVE”…
because I guarantee you WILL love his photos!!
(Don’t use them without giving him credit, please.)
Ed Coyle Photography

You should put Ennis, Montana on your “Bucket List.” If you have never ventured to this part of the USA, make it a “Must Do!” We’ll be happy to welcome you.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
and enjoying a few of our scenes with me.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

art, blessings, Fishing, flowers, God, Gratitude, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, peace, photography, Travel

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Beautiful Montana Skies


From sunrise to sunset the Montana skies are a thing of beauty.
This is sunset reflected on the eastern Madison Range from the western Tobacco Root Range.
In every season, Montana skies are a wonder to behold. That’s the mountain called the Sphinx. I think Ed Coyle took this photo. He is magical with his camera.
We were so happy to be greeted by these blue skies and snow-peaked mountains when we returned from our trip.
This gorgeous sunrise over the Madison Mountain range was taken by my friend, Susan Phillips. She’s a great fisherman and the waters of the Madison River lure her to fly fishing in every season.

This was our sunset … settling over the Tobacco Root Range … and luring me outside with my camera.

You can see why Montana is known for its big skies, can’t you?

Uninhibited by tall buildings and city lights, the skies are a majestic wonder. God smiles on us with such wonderful beauty here in Montana.

The sun greets us from our bedroom window with a bright “Good Morning!”
I think this is another Ed Coyle photo. Check him out on FB!

As the setting sun reflects against the mountains on the east,
the glow of evening sends the fish to their slumber…
and tells the anglers, “Time to go home!”

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com
That’s our house behind all those trees.
We loved our time in CA, but it’s always good to be home!
Don’t you agree?

Good night! And good-bye January!
See ya in February.

Category:

Fishing, God, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, peace, photography

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