bionicdan's Daily Notes and Ramblings

Day to Day in NW Montana - June 2008

Posted by: bionicdan, 2:51 AM GMT on June 02, 2008

Updated the NW Montana to NE Minnesota time period by adding a slide show for the Minnesota trip. (06/18/2008 to 06/25/2008) ... No other changes

06/30/2008 - Sunny start again today. Just some morning clouds drifted through around sunrise. Those might have been smoke clouds from the fires in northern California. Today is forecast to be dry and hot.

Pasture Windrows Await the Baler

Morning Clouds at Sunrise (Maybe Smoke Clouds)

The afternoon was sunny, hot, and dry, (as forecast) just perfect for making bales from the windrows. Today ended with the bales being picked up from the first pasture areas and hauled to the old barn for storage. At this point, we are about one third done with about 160 bales generated today!

Making Hay While the Sun Shines: III. Making Bales

Some Baled ... More Waiting to be Processed

Bales in the distance and nearer windrows waiting their turn.

06/29/2008 - Today was warmer still as the clear summer weather is totally here. The next step in the hay processing began with turning over of the windrows generated by the swather a couple of days ago. This is done for a couple of reasons: pick up the grass from the ground so it can dry; and combine a couple or more rows into a larger single row for baling. Life at the farm is kinda laid back (do da, do da).

Making Hay While the Sun Shines: II. Raked Windrows and Tractor with Rake

Close-up of Tractor and Rake

06/28/2008 - This was another great day. Clear with almost no clouds throughout the day (watch my images make me eat my words). Today is a transition day for the hay making project with the swathed grass drying in the pasture. It's also a good day to repair any broken parts (the swather threw a bearing during cutting of the last row yesterday and that needs to be replaced) and just kick back and relax in the evening (once again at the fire ring!).

Morning View Across the Outer Pasture to the Cut Section and Still Further Away, the Horses

Swather Repair of the Rake Bar Bearing

Dog Resting Time at the Fire Ring in the Evening

06/27/2008 - Clear and warm day in NW Montana. Just perfect for making hay while the sun shines. This is phase one of a three or more step process: Cut the pasture to create the wind rows; Rake the rows to combine lighter ones into a bigger wind row; Bale the hay; (also, pick up the bales, take them to the barn or storage areas, and finally unload and stack them). This is a major project at the ranch and will span the next week or more as the various pastures get processed. What fun!

Making Hay While the Sun Shines - I. Swathing the Pasture

Swather and Cut Windrows

06/26/2008 - Back from the trip to Minnesota...Clear and wonderful day back at the ranch. Great clouds were drifting around this evening. Dry conditions are beginning to show up again since the last week or so had only a scattering of rainfall.

Layered Clouds in the Evening Sky

06/18/2008 to 06/25/2008 - Tripping from NW Montana to NE Minnesota - I'll be away from the ranch to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. (I'll be number 177 for those who track such things). So, during the trip I will be mostly off the grid in NE Minnesota.

06/17/2008 - Sunny and nice again today in NW Montana. There has been a good stretch of days and a couple of more are expected.

Returning From the Morning Dog Walk

Orpheus Wading and Nibbling Grass from the Creek

06/16/2008 - After last week's return to winter, this week has now had a full return to sunny conditions and the feelings of summer.

Grass Level View from an Outer Pasture

06/15/2008 - Sunny and calm start to the week. Happy father's day to all who are and to those who make that possible. And in tribute to Mr. Timothy Russert -- What a Great Country!

The day at the ranch was great with the walk with the dogs. Another training run was finished under clear blue sky and super green field conditions. As the day ended, it was just time to hang it up!

Calm Pond Reflections Again this Morning

Daniel on Day 21914 ... After a Morning Walk with the Dogs

Daniel and the Dogs After a Morning Walk

Blue Sky and Green Fields Along the Fence Lines

Clear Blue and Green Looking Down the Fence Line

Time to Hang It Up! for the Day

A Good Day as the Wash Was Hung Out to Dry

06/14/2008 - Amazing last day of my 50's. Clear, some wind but not a problem for anything. Nice and cool for a morning run after a walk with my wife and the dogs. Some time for various and assorted ranch chores. As the day went by, good conditions continued for a late afternoon trail ride, and, finally, a couple of hours of resting at the fire pit and cooking up an evening meal. Bring on tomorrow!

Fire Pit Cooking for the Evening Meal

Taffy Watching Something ... and the Evening Fire

Today was Flag Day 2008

06/13/2008 - Clear, somewhat breezy, and a fine day. Except for a morning walk, all I did was a long run in the sun. The only other thing I did was help getting the horses in, that was about it for today. Oh, that's right, also I mowed for an hour or so. Life at the ranch is great!

Sunny Clear Morning at the Ranch

06/12/2008 - Return to spring for us here in NW Montana. Temperatures moved into the mid 60 range again. Sunlight returned at least half-time. And, everything is drying out as the snow has melted. It was fun for Taffy, though, she thought the snowball fetching season was over. But, where the snow slid off of the barn roof, there was enough snow to make snowballs for her to fetch for several throws. Good fun for all!

East View from the Deck this Evening

Southeast View from the Deck this Evening

Floating Clouds over the Meadow

06/11/2008 - Quiet morning, with the light fog that hangs around the hills when everything is wet and cool. Light traces of snow survived the night. It seems like life was moving a little more slowly today. Chilled by the wind and snow of yesterday and waiting for the warmth to return. ...Later... It was another run up into the clouds this afternoon. The moisture from the melting snow kept a layer of clouds around the hills for most of the day.

Again, Up Into the Clouds on My Run Today

And, Returning Down the Hill, Still in the Clouds

Quiet Morning with Clouds and Lingering Snow

Creek Passing Through the Paddock Under the Fence Line

Creek Flow Strong Over Rocks at Fence Crossing

06/10/2008 - Spring indeed! It is snowing here in NW Montana this morning. It might end up being our best snowfall event of the season(?)! (Does this count as snowfall for the 2007-2008 time-frame, or do I count this as a special event? What season is this? Actually, I think I remember the "hydrologic" year is October 1st to September 30th. So, this would be a 2007-2008 season addition. But quite a problem to deal with!

Being that I only have one more week to train up for the marathon I needed to run today regardless of the weather conditions. Yesterday was an indoor run and I just wasn't mentally able to do another (d)treadmill workout. So, instead I ran up into the snow and slush. It was one of my fastest runs for this training period, even with stops along the way to take photographs and smile at the weather conditions I was running in.

Gateway to a Winter Wonderland -- June Version!

Tree Unable to Bear the Snow Load

Lilac Bush Weighted with Snow!

06/09/2008 - A day with another mixture of light rain, good periods of sunlight, and more rain later in the evening. The deer are beginning to show antler growth for the summer.

Bright Sunny Green Morning

Young Buck with New Antler Growth

06/08/2008 - It was a run into the clouds today. Showers overnight and in the early morning left a layer of clouds along the hills and above the meadow. I ran up the hill and into the clouds. ... Later ... Late in the day the sky cleared with clouds floating above the pastures.

Clouds in the Evening Above the Pastures

The Running Road into the Clouds

In the Clouds Near the Turnaround Point

06/07/2008 - Cool temperatures and mostly cloudy sky for the day today. Some light showers but no major rainfall event so far. The chores have been some indoor activities for the last couple of days as we painted the side boards in the arena. I again chose to do my running workout on the treadmill to maximize the time vs effort. The evening remained overcast when we moved the horses back into the inner paddocks for the evening.

Orpheus, Harmony, and Jonah in the Paddock for the Evening

Orpheus, Harmony, and Jonah in for the Evening

06/06/2008 - We are into a repeating sun, clouds, rain, back to sun mix for today. The showers of late evening yesterday ended about the time we moved the horses into the barn for the night. The day was one consisting of clouds with some sunshine mix. Cooler temperatures are expected the next couple of days with snow forecast for higher elevations.

Morning Views from the Deck to the East and Southeast

06/05/2008 - A mix of clouds overnight has become mostly clear during the mid-morning. To avoid the repeat of yesterday's treadmill workout, I need to get out for a run soon. The forecast is for increasing clouds with showers again for this evening and lasting for a couple of days. ...Later update... Evening showers moved through as forecast, but all the chores for the day including an OUTDOOR run, were completed with no impact from the weather.

Another Sunny Morning with Our Late Lilacs Blooming

06/04/2008 - Mostly cloudy conditions with some light rain this morning. Some breaks in the clouds during the middle of the day were followed with more dense clouds later in the afternoon and evening. It looked like it was going to rain about the time I went out to do a run, so I moved my running workout into the arena on the treadmill. It was a grueling 12 to 13 mile workout (lost track when I pulled off the emergency stop trip line by accident). So I added a couple of walk run intervals to fill out the last 30 minutes. As it turned out, I could have easily run outside instead of on the treadmill, the afternoon and evening was another sun and cloud mix without any rain.

Apple Blossoms Frame Horse and House

Jonah, Outstanding in His Field

Harmony, Listens to my "Outstanding in His Field" Joke ... And Gives a Big Horse Laugh in Appreciation

06/03/2008 - A day with a mix of light rain, sun, and clouds. A late afternoon run was done with mostly sunny conditions evolving to more clouds than sun by the end of the run. The clouds again broke open late in the evening with sun rays moving across the pasture.

Clouds and Light Rain this Morning

Overcast Mix with Some Light Rain this Morning

Sun Rays Across the Pastures this Evening

Sun and Shadows Across the Pastures this Evening

06/02/2008 - Clouds this morning and even some showers in the mid-afternoon. Late afternoon the clouds gave way to mostly sunny sky conditions with just enough clouds to put shadows on the hills southeast of the ranch.

Sunny with Shadows on Distant Hills

Lilacs Blooming in the Sunshine This Afternoon

Lilac Blossoms in Full Sunlight this Afternoon

06/01/2008 - Clouds early in the day, and they hung on for the duration. There was a Smith Valley Fire Department training session along my running route. I biked back up the route after my run and took some video and images of the exercise. Later in the day a lightning and thunder cell passed through and light rainfall followed off and on for the rest of the afternoon and evening. It looks like the rainy season has arrived.

Smith Valley Fire Department Training Burn

Smith Valley Fire Department Training Burn

The Lilacs in Bloom with Light Rain this Afternoon

Finally, Lilacs Blooming with Pasture Misty Rain

Misty Clouds Float Over the Treeline This Evening

Updated: 3:18 PM GMT on July 21, 2008

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About bionicdan

Retired. Now a rancher and life observer. Speak softly and carry a camera with a big memory stick.

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Ranch west of Kalispell at 3317' Kalispell, MT
Elevation:	3317 ft
Temperature:	57.5 °F
Dew Point:	52.4 °F
Humidity:	83%
Wind:	Calm
Wind Gust:	0.0 mph
Updated: 10:49 AM MDT on June 19, 2013 Station History

Kalispell 7W, Montana Kalispell, MT
Elevation:	3300 ft
Temperature:	80.5 °F
Dew Point:	62.3 °F
Humidity:	54%
Wind:	Calm
Wind Gust:	0.0 mph
Updated: 12:05 PM MDT on June 18, 2013 Station History