Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘mountains’

Ready to Go Trail Riding?

Are you ready to go trail riding?
I have a deal for you!
We are selling “Lucille”
And her sturdy trailer, too.

Beautiful “Lucille”

“Lucille??” you question.
That’s what you named her?
Yup, like Lucille Ball…
A redhead -and no one tamed her!

On her, we’ve had a ball!
We’ve enjoyed her a lot.
But, for health reasons now,
We need something else in her spot.

So, if you or a friend
Is interested and can come,
We’d love for you to take them
Though it makes us mighty glum.

Check out our listing at
bozeman.craigslist.org/tro/d/ennis-bigtex-trailer/7669210550.html
Spread the word for us, OK?
Come to Ennis, Montana and meet us –
You’ll never regret the day!

TazE (our Boston Terrier) with Bob & me

Meet “Charlie!”

Our TazE already said her good-byes
And now Lucille will make way for “Charlie.”
He’s our new blue addition –
And no, he’s not a Harley!

We may be crazy sportsmen,
Loving to get outside and play,
But our “Lucille” trail riding days are over.
Are you interested in taking her out someday?

Oh, and Happy Autumn to you, my friend!
It’s a gorgeous day with blue sky & puffy clouds.
I love seeing all the changing colors.
Go up in the mountains to view them… avoid the crowds!

Hugs to you,
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Marvelous Montana Morning

It was a marvelous Montana morning.
The sun wasn’t up yet, but the doves were.
They cooed and wooed and greeted the day.
I was happy to be up before the sun.

Note the puddle on the rock there.
It rained a little last night.
Everything is so fresh and green.
Welcome to Terrific Tuesday!

As the sky brightened, so did my spirits.
Looking at the purple mountain majesty,
How could anyone not be happy here?
Montana is such a beautiful place to be.

Good morning, sweet Montana sunrise.
Thank you, Lord, for another day;
A day to rejoice and be glad in it,
A day to sing God’s praises….

Sing along with me and the children:

Have a Terrific Tuesday!
How will you celebrate life today?

Sending my love,
JanBeek

For the Beauty

Oh, the beauty of the earth
Is astounding day by day
Don’t take it for granted
Ot it may fade away!

The Tetons – and the oh so beautiful river

Montana wildflower hike

The Hardwick’s Montana sunset

(Psalm 98:7-9) 
“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.”

Have a gorgeous day
wherever you are
Enjoy this beautiful earth
The sea, the mountains,
the sun and stars…
And praise our God
Who made them all.

Amen

Love, JanBeek

Glorious Montana Colors

Today is National Smile Day.
Our glorious Montana Colors
will sure give you something to smile about!

I am smiling at our glorious Montana colors today!

We took a drive from Ennis
up into the Tobacco Root Range
up North MeadowCreek
above McAllister
where our friends,
Mary & Paul Carlson live.

The colors along the roadside
were so glorious!
I got out to take this picture
instead of looking though
our cracked windshield
like I did on that first photo.

My blogging friend, Dwight Roth, took this.
His colors are as spectacular as ours.
Are the colors changing where you are?

We visited Paul and Mary at their house.
We met a new friend as we were
traveling up to Paul’s little cabin.
Paul & Mary invited him
to come on home with them.

This piece of old mining equipment
was found abandoned along the roadway
leading up to their house.
A friend helped them haul it into their backyard

The mining apparatus
fits perfectly with the remains of
this old mining shed
(that’s also in their backyard).
It was probably built in the late 1800’s.

The views from their backyard
are breathtaking!
They just completed this fence
last week – attempting to keep the deer
out of their greenhouse and flowerbeds.

Mary inherited this old barn
when she bought this mountain property
Paul uses it now as his “Man Cave.”
It’s where he creates magical things
with all his woodworking equipment.

Paul took Bob & me up to see
the property he dreamed about
as a kid… and the cabin he and
nine of his friends built there
-around 2005 –
(same year we came to MT).

Many happy memories are tucked in here!

The road leading to/from the cabin
is lined with wonderful aspen
that shine their gold this time of the year.

Some farmers raise cattle in this high country.

Autumn is a wonderful season
It brings with it colors galore
I love the fall leaves and scenery
I hope you can get out and explore

Do get out before all the leaves drop.
Pick up your pup and take a hike.
Tell me about your choices:
Which of the scenes did you particularly like?

See ya later, my friends.
Bee well!
Love,

JanBeek

Sweet Swiss Times

Our weekend began with a cloudy day in Sierre, Switzerland, but soon the sky cleared and the weekend was sunny and beautiful.

It was a beautiful fun-filled time with family and friends. Let me share some highlights with you. We’re having such sweet Swiss times! One highlight of our weekend was a choir festival in Véraz (near Sierre) where our daughter, DeDe, and grandson, Chris, sang with the Chippis choir.

Every day here in this beautiful country is full of the blessing of family and friends. Sweet catch-up time. I love sharing the fun with you.

Me with DeDe at the choir festival
Bob with DeDe

After the festival, we went to André’s brother’s fiancée’s place for a raclette evening. So nice to have catch-up time with Kad & Roger.

Meantime, our friends, Jim & Terry, took the bus from Vissoie up to Grimentz where they are enjoying a few days of hiking in those fabulous mountains. They’re sharing a few photos of their experiences. Have a look!

Wow! Great photo, Terry!
Terry, the hiker
Jim … the trooper
Hah! Listen to Terry’s description of their hike and Jim’s take on this!

Yes, the mountains are alive with the sounds of water and hikers and joy! Once upon a time, a dozen years ago, Bob & I took that hike. Now we are content to enjoy those high Alpine views through others’ cameras! Oh, and from the bus- of course.

Thank you for your responses to our posts. We love sharing our trip vicariously with you, dear friends. Wish you could be here in person.

See ya tomorrow (God willing)-

Love, JanBeek

The Hills Are Alive!

The hills are alive with the sounds of family!

Yesterday our daughter, DeAna, drove us down into the Rhône River Valley, through Sierre, and up into the Alps on the other side to an area called Crans-Montana. It is where she & André lived 30 years ago when they first moved here. On the hillside e hind the restaurant André managed way back then are a few chalets. One of them, built in 1772, is owned by ZuZu & Célia. They invited us to spend the day there with them.

ZuZu (Christian Zufferey) was our AFS son in 1980-81. He is André’s first cousin. He and Célia prepared an amazing meal for us! The first plate was an outstanding eggplant quiche. The second plate was lamb (my favorite) and a ratatouille. All the vegetables they grew in their gardens here in this gorgeous high Alpine place.

The opportunity to be together again with ZuZu was so very special. After the meal we shared various liqueurs – also made by them using various fruits, etc. that they grew.

After our time there, De took us back down into Sierre where we had a nice visit with our friend, Christiane Rielle.

Then (as if day was not already blessed enough), we were treated by our DeDe and our grandson, Nick, to a wonderful dinner at Capri Restaurant in Sierre before returning to Vissoie for the night.

Then today we went on a guided tour of Sierre. Our grandson, Mike’s new bride, Tania, provided the tour. At the Sierre Tourisma Office, my buddy Terry found a hat for a souvenir… and I found a terrific pair of funky glasses that I could not resist!

Now you can see why I didn’t bring a pair of sunglasses with me on this trip. I needed THIS pair!!

Bob, Jim & Terry Groshong, our MT/CA best friends, learned all about the history of Sierre. There is the town hall behind the 4 of us. If you saw my post about Mike & Tania’s civil ceremony, it’s the same place where they were married last weekend.

Then Tania guided us to an old (1700s) chalet. Look at they key Jim is holding. It opened the cellar door where we did some wine tasting.

Next Tania drove us to Chateau Mercier where she explained the history and we tasted more fine Swiss wines.

Lovely Chateau Mercier has beautiful gardens, too. We walked around and admired them before going to Chateau Villa for Raclette dinner. Mike joined us there.

Mike & Tania’s church ceremony is Sept. 20, so we have another couple weeks here to enjoy the hills alive with family. Stay tuned!

Jim & Terry will leave tomorrow – so you can say farewell to them for now nit’s been wonderful to have them with us this week!

I can never tire of these beautiful Swiss Alpine views! Come back tomorrow. We’re going to take the bus down to stay with André’s mom. I’ll share those views with you, too..

Thanks for traveling vicariously with us! Bee 🐝 well, dear friends! See you tomorrow (God willing).

Love, JanBeek (and Bob)

Montana Trails with Friends

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.”

Celebrate July!!

I have taken a week off from blogging…
time to enjoy company …
time to enjoy summer finally!

July is a month
Of special celebrations
First: Back on the road

Bob, TazE and I were invited to join our friends, Mike and Julie, on an ATV ride into the Gravelly Range.

Julie & Mike brought their
wonderful dog, Zeke.

The wildflowers were out in full bloom, and my friend, Susan Phillips, captured their beauty magnificently. What you see is the Madison Valley and the Sphinx in the Madison Range in the background. Impressive, huh?

Thank you, Susan, for letting me share some of your photos.

I captured some of the panoramic scenery. It was such a pretty day!

The fields of wild mustard and other wildflowers were breathtaking!
The fields are so green.
The cattle are happy grazers!
Bob & I thought this was a
beautiful place to stop for a lunch break.
That’s Bob holding TazE’s leash…
And Julie bending low in front.
She and Mike were our drivers…
and Caroline & CG were the trip organizers.
Caroline & Chuck-
dear friends!

Then, other dear friends, the Tillions,
came from California to spend a few days with us.

Ingrid & Alan Tillion

We went to our nearby tourist attraction,
Virginia City, and enjoyed time together there.
No time to blog… too busy being in the moment!

Ingrid & Alan almost missed the hailstorm –
but not quite! We got hammered!!

We went on the 4th to watch the parade from the comfort of our friends’, the Washburns, beautiful yard. They provided breakfast and lunch for an amazing group of their friends. We felt privileged to be included and to be invited to bring the Tillions with us.

Alan, Bob, Jan & Ingrid
Such a beautiful Independence Day!
The parade came right in front of our lovely, shaded area at the Washburns.
I loved the painted horse.
Back at home, we were treated to
our own neighborhood parade
with the Welna Family… too cute!

To continue our July celebrations,
we went with the Tillions to Bozeman
on July 5th, and we all enjoyed a
yummy brunch at Jam! (my favorite BZN brkfst)

Mmmmm… it was delicious!

We didn’t stop there… yesterday we invited our pastor, Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds, to come celebrate her birthday with us. So you can see why I have not blogged for a few days. It’s been a wonderful time of face-to-face with people who are dear to our hearts. No better way to celebrate!

Happy Birthday, MGR!!
We’re so happy you are a part of our lives!
You make us happier with your presence.

It’s good to be back on my blog.
I thank you for visiting and sharing time with us.
I hope you will share how you are celebrating July, too.

Happy Trails to You!

See ya again soon, I hope.
Have a beautiful rest of your week.
What will you be doing? Tell me…

Love,
JanBeek

It’s a New Day!

Rick Malone wrote
in his “Spiritual Matters” article,

“There is something very special about the dawn.
The sun seems to climb over the horizon
with open arms, inviting us to share
in the wonderful opportunities of a new day.

Every dawn puts the things of yesterday
in the past and allows us to begin afresh.
The Bible uses this imagery of the dawn
to communicate the reality of new beginnings.

The psalmist teaches us that each new day
should be a source of rejoicing,
for it is a “day that the Lord has made;
and we should rejoice and be glad in it”
(Psalms 118:24).

And Jeremiah tells us
that the mercies of the Lord,
“are new every morning”
(Lamentations 3:23).

Michael Buble’ sang of the new day in his song:
“It’s a New Day.”
Listen and discern his idea of a new day.

Then design your own idea of a new day …
and praise the Lord for each new beginning!

Rick Malone went on in his post
to explain his image of a new day:

“This imagery of the dawn
not only symbolizes new beginnings
for us personally,
it symbolizes a new beginning
for the brokenness of God’s creation.
The bliss of the Garden of Eden
crumbled in the hands of Adam.
Creation now groans under a curse.
But we are given the promise
that at the dawning of the age to come
creation itself will be made new.”

You can find Rick Malone’s
full article at this link:
https://boropulse.com/2018/05/spiritual-matters-dawning-new-day/

We have incredible sunrises
above the Madison Range
that I can see from my home.
I love this time of day.
Below is what the sunrise looked like
from my sanctuary window this morning:

I sent this picture to my friend, Lisa, in North Carolina. We exchange sunrise pictures and prayers for one another most mornings. I apologized for the way my roof line from my sanctuary kind of spoiled the view this morning. She wrote back and sent me a cropped picture of my sunrise saying, “Simply GORGEOUS!!!”

Like most things in life, what we behold is often a matter of perspective, right? When we screen out the distractions and zero in on the positives, we see the true beauty around us, within us, and within others.

Lisa lives near a lake. Often her sunrises and sunsets are reflected in the water, creating a double image. I can look at the gray clouds beyond and expect a rainy, dismal day, or I can focus on the colorful reflections in the lake and anticipate a colorful, joy-filled day (or night) ahead.

Rick Malone explained it this way:

“Each new day is the perpetual promise of new beginnings. It is a new opportunity to turn the disappointments of our lives in a new direction. We can all identify with the failures of life—bad decisions, broken relationships, unfortunate circumstances. But God gives us a continual opportunity to start life fresh every day and put the past in our past. He is the God of new beginnings, the God of new life, the God of forgiveness. He is the God who covers our yesterdays with His grace. And, He is the God who graciously covers our tomorrows with every new dawn He gives us. Every sunrise beckons us: ‘Turn your life away from yourself and to your Maker who loves you.’ “

Another of Lisa Glines’ sunrises

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Montana Sunrise by Ken Hall

Above our bed, Bob & I have a painting by Ken Hall. It depicts the sunrise over the Madison Range. On clear mornings, we see this scene out our bedroom, dining room, living room, and sanctuary windows. But, even on fogged in or snowy days when the mountains are hidden and the sun is behind the clouds, we can look at Ken’s painting and thank God for this new day – new dawn – new beginning.

I pray your new day is a blessed one.
I pray you are healthy and happy.
I thank you for your friendship –
and for coming to share your day
with me here on JanBeek.

What are your plans for this new day?
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

God Bless You!

P.S. Please pray for my daughter-in-law, Monika.
She spent most of the day yesterday in the ER.
Today our son, Ty, will take her to the hospital
to find out why the massive headache and the
pain in the area of her gall bladder. Pray for a
clear
diagnosis and for healing, please.
Thank you!

Embrace Yellowstone w Visitors

Today we went to Yellowstone National Park with our grandson, Nick, and his sweetheart, Celine.

The only entrances into the park that were open were the north gate by Gardner and the north-east gate by Cooke City. We were able to enjoy the Mammoth Hot Springs and the road to the Tower. Only on that last road were we able to spot a few bison. Not being able to go through West Yellowstone to Old Faithful was a disappointment, but Nick will just have to return with Celine some summer when the whole park is available. Highlights today were:

  1. TazE enjoying the Bighorn sheep that were right by the road (we did, too)

2. Enjoying a day in Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs with Nick & Celine

3. Being healthy & vigorous enough to enjoy walking the Mammoth Hot Springs trail, too!

4. Stopping in Gardner for refreshments on our way home

5. And enjoying the changing colors of the night sky on our way home

Hopefully next trip we’ll be able to go through West Yellowstone and see Old Faithful in her glory. But meantime, we had a great day with bighorn sheep, bison (at a distance), antelope, mule tail deer, and a bald eagle delighting our visitors.

Nick took lots better pictures than I did… and his Instagram posts will delight his followers, I am sure.

Hopefully you can come some day, too… and enjoy this beautiful park with us.

Meantime, thanks for visiting with us today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

To see more of Yellowstone Park, click on that August 9, 2019 post. Our cousin, Sofia, visited the Park with us on that occasion. Old Faithful and the hot springs were in full array.

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