Beautiful Montana
Have you watched any of the TV series called “The Madison”? It’s filmed right here in and around Ennis.
Love, JanBeek
Posts tagged ‘trees’
Rescued
In my devotional, “When God Thinks of You, He Smiles,” the message fit perfectly for us today. I was invited to “Think of a time when God rescued you.” Yesterday I mourned the loss of one of our beautiful big evergreen trees. It blew over in a 50 mph wind storm. God heard my unspoken pleas. Obviously Bob & I needed help cutting up and removing that fallen spruce. We didn’t have time to think about that task before three different friends reached out and offered to come and help us. It was certainly something they (and for sure God) knew we could not do ourselves. Our bodies just lack that capability at the ripe age of 87!
So, that tree that once stood at least 20 feet tall snapped off right at its base… and lay there Sunday pathetically waiting to be removed… and dear friends came Monday to cut it up. A big job for two men with chain saws, a pick up and a borrowed trailer. Took three trips to the dump to get most of it removed. Tomorrow the rest will go and the trailer will be returned to the generous owner. We are so blessed to have such caring, capable friends!
The devotional this morning began with, “God’s love leads Him to do more for us than we can envision.” Certainly the Godly servants of the Lord that He sent our way did more than I could envision.
The message went on to say, “No matter how often you need Him, He will always be there. Trust in Him, for He is faithful and true.”
Thank You, God, for rescuing us. I do trust in You. Thank You for sending Your beloved followers to help us. We delight in You.
My devotional says, “When God thinks of you, He smiles.” Well, guess what, when I think of God, I smile.
Do you?
Love,
JanBeek
Flowers Flowers Flowers
exhibit
Thanks for traveling with me vicariously!
Love, JanBeek
April Snow Continues
It’s Ennis, Montana… and yes, friends, it can snow here on July 4th! So, this April snow should not be a surprise. In fact, after a relatively dry January through March, we are grateful for the moisture in April! It snowed all last night… and then more today. With no wind to blow it off the branches, ain’t it gorgeous?
I am up in my sanctuary, looking out at the magnificent snow covered trees and thanking God for them.
And so do I!
I’m praying for you,
For our world, and
For peace, please.
Love ❤️
JanBeek
Awesome Autumn
Autumn is awesome
With spectacular colors
Breathtaking beauty
Bob’s former student, Victor Salazar, treats us every week with his “Friday Fotos.”
This “Pond in Maine” was in his last batch of pictures. It’s so spectacular, I just had to share it.
Thank you, Victor.
Our brilliant bushes
Greet friends who come to visit
Soon color is gone
Winter comes too soon
When everything turns to white
Meantime dance in leaves
Love,
JanBeek
I Can Embrace Whimsey
In his book, Catching Whimsey, Bob Goff told about the time he and his wife, “Sweet Maria,” bought his father-in-law’s decrepit old wooden wagon. They bought it so they could restore it to mint condition. I related to Bob Goff’s story because I have friends who have an old wooden wagon in their yard. It has been a part of their family for two or three generations. They treasure it and have restored it to mint condition.
But, in the case of Bob & Maria Goff, after buying sandpaper and paint and nuts and bolts and the tools needed to get started on their immense reconstruction project, there was a huge storm. A hundred-foot tree fell on the wagon. Bob Goff wrote, “We had plenty of firewood that winter, about a hundred feet of tree and one priceless wagon’s worth.”
So what does this have to do with WHIMSEY? Well, ya gotta know Bob Goff! Whimsey is his favorite word!! And in his “Faith Step” at the bottom of the page, he cautions us, “Don’t let today’s challenges break you, and don’t live in fear that a tree might fall on you. Live a life so full of love and whimsey people will think you are made of the stuff.”
Hah!
Are you made of the stuff??
I can embrace whimsey.
Can you?
Love ya,
JanBeek
Happy October
Happy October, my friends.
The month has begun wonderfully.
Cool cool mornings and warm afternoons.
Colors changing – and autumn in the air.
The grass still is green
And the aspen leaves still quake,
But the green shrub outside our entry
Has turned a brilliant magenta.
Antelope are out grazing
Finding green nibbles in the browning fields
And trees are turning a brilliant yellow
Autumn is my favorite color
The gold and orange cheer me
From head to toe!
I scolded my daughter
When she thought my shirt was pj’s!
No, it’s comfy and ushers in fall colors.
Our local newspaper published
An article I submitted this week
Inviting writers to come and join us.
Madison Valley Writers are meeting
Every first and third Friday at 10:30 am
At the Madison Valley Bank fireside room.
If you are near, I hope you’ll come.
If you’re too far to join us,
How about submitting something?
I will share your poem or short story
With those who come next week.
Here’s the one I wrote last week.
It was published in today’s “Madisonian.”
Winter comes too early
And it lasts too long.
When God created seasons,
He got it all so wrong.
The seasons should be equal –
Spring Summer Winter Fall.
Each has its own beauty
And I love them all.
But here in our Montana,
Winter comes way too soon.
We barely get a summer
When we see the autumn moon.
The leaves turn gorgeous golden.
The wild flowers die on the vine.
The frost kills the mosquitoes.
But what joy is left is mine.
I take joy in getting ready
For winter’s cold but glorious snow.
Begging neighbors to be willing
To plow us out, you know?
Winter boots and jackets
Come forward in the space
Where sandals and sundresses
Once occupied that place.
So enjoy what little autumn
We are fortunate to see
Because before you are read
Winter’s here for you and me.
Sleigh bells ring and children gather
Near the fireplace to hear
Reindeer bells and Ho-ho-ho’s.
Are you ready? Winter’s near!
Bundle Up!!
Enjoy Autumn!
Enjoy all the color changes.
Write about your favorite season.
Let me hear from you.
Love,
JanBeek
News About Honeybees
Yes, I often write about honeybees.
Why?
Well, if you have been a JanBeek follower for any time at all,
you know that my hubby, Bob, is a retired beekeeper.
Not just a hobbyist, but a full-time bee guy
with as many as 2,000 hives
back in the late 1980’s & ’90s and early 2000’s.
Even after retiring here to Montana, he worked for several years with local beekeeping hobbyist, John White. Bees are a part of Bob’s DNA! His dad was a beekeeper and his brother was, too. Now he has three nephews and a grand-nephew keeping bees big time.
So, it was no surprise to me when I received an e-mail today from someone wanting me to post on the topic of honeybees again. She sent me a letter and asked me to put it on my blog. I’m happy to do so. Here it is:
“Hi Jan,
I hope your day is going well!
I came across your website and noticed you shared a lot of information on beekeeping. I thought our guide could be helpful for your readers.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world by commercial gardeners. However, many pesticides – including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides – harm pollinators and other beneficial insects.
To help educate those in the farming and gardening industries about this toxic chemical, we’ve created a comprehensive guide with organic, and homemade; and a second guide with agricultural alternatives. please take a look:
drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/
drugwatch.com/roundup/cancer/
I thought these guides would be beneficial to share with your community. Would you consider adding that as resources to your website https://janbeek.blog/tag/honeybees/ to inform people about this critical matter better?
I appreciate your time and look forward to your response. Have a great day!”
Nicole Nunez (She / Her) | Outreach Coordinator
1 S. Orange Ave. Ste. 201 | Orlando, FL 32801
So, let’s all do our part to protect
our honeybees,
our trees,
and our fresh water,
okay?
What do you say?
Hugs to you on this Fabulous Friday.
I hope you’re staying warm.
It’s 15 degrees outside my Ennis home
– and snowing.
Oh my what a difference a week can make.
Take a look:
Oh my, those images are too large to show the total difference.
I need to learn how to post them smaller,
but I was trying that side-by-side feature.
It’s kinda neat… you can see more of each image
by using the middle arrows to slide it left or right.
Anyway, you get the idea…
Bee Warm!
And bee good to those bees!!
Sending lotsa love your way,
JanBeek
October Memories
Happy October to you, my friends!
May this month of changing colors
Find you healthy, happy, and looking forward
To the joy this season brings your way.
I decided today to look back at
Some of past October’s joys.
Fun to reminisce and search memories;
Don’t you agree? Those colors add noise!
Trees of green turn and shout out red,
Spreading their joy to all.
May we, likewise, determine
To spread our joy this fall.
These trees are near our home;
Every fall they decorate the course
Where golfers enjoy the coolness
And we celebrate nature’s Source.
We may not be able this year
To follow our friends up on trails
Where the fall colors blaze;
But we’ll follow along on all their details.
We’ll remember fondly our rides
With friends who also had pups –
Like our TazE (who’s in heaven now) –
Their love filled our cups.
The plant outside my window
Is reminding me daily of the cold
That is right around the corner…
The colorful changes never seem old.
“You observe days and months and seasons and years.”
Observe the blessings
of the changing season
Knowing every change
Is for a very good reason.
Everywhere we look these days
We see the signs of the changing season.
It is a beautiful time of year –
And we welcome it to breeze in!
We’d welcome you to breeze in, too.
Come visit the 2Beeks in Montana state…
Even on the coldest of days, we enjoy
Sharing ice cream with you; It’s never too late!
Happy Autumn Hugs
from
JanBeek
(and the ice cream loving Beekster)
Are You Ready?
Hey, are you ready
For this twenty twenty-three
New for you and me
At Cannery Row
In lovely Monterey Bay
We had a great lunch
In the house next door
To where we are staying now
A huge tree fell down
It went through the roof
Destroying the entire house
Feeling so sorry
Morning in Carmel
Was sunny and beautiful
A break in the storm.
What beautiful friends
We shared a couple days with
Life’s full of blessings
We’re with Bob’s brother
At his home in Pebble Beach
Grateful no trees fell
Thankful for family
More than grateful for our friends
Pray for safe travels
Tomorrow we will
Return to our son, Ty’s place
Weather permitting
Hey, are you ready
For this twenty twenty-three
New for you and me?
I am!!
Happy Cheers, my friends!
See ya tomorrow – hopefully.
Love,
JanBeek
