September starts with a family reunion hosted by my sister Nancy and her husband Dick, a memorial to our Uncle Ted. Our Aunt Doris is there, as are nephews, nieces, and their families. It is really enjoyable for me to see my aunt as well as numerous cousins.
A few days later I head over the mountain to visit my daughter Ang for her birthday and to continue fixing up my RV to make it more homey. It’s starting to look like a sweet cozy home.
When Nancy and I went to Wallace at the end of August to visit my daughter Katie, the sky was a beautiful blue, but wildfire smoke moved in right after that and it is now exceedingly smoky from wildfires near Salmon, Idaho, Flathead Lake in Montana, and Oregon. Looking at photos taken on morning walks, it is hard to discern whether it’s mist or smoke, and unfortunately, it is smoke.
Some mornings I don’t seem to have much energy – maybe the colder temperatures, maybe the smoke, but I have been neglecting my usual morning quiet time sitting outside with inspirational reading and journal.
Happily, a few days later there is a reprieve from the smoke and the sky is once again a beautiful blue. Nancy and I walk to the Bitterroot River where I enjoy taking photos of the reflections on a slow moving side channel.
Since Clifford and I will be leaving Montana soon, I take a few days to visit Ang, as we still have some editing to do on the last book of her epic fantasy series, Novels of Shannon (now Saga of Sha’ha’non). While I am there, I enjoy having coffee with Ang in the mornings, harvesting herbs, and sitting by a campfire in the evening.
Clifford and I make final trips to Missoula to get the supplies we will need for our journey south for the winter. Day by day we are watching the weather. We have modified our plans to go to Wyoming as it is already too cold there. Instead, we will take a new-for-us route through eastern Nevada. One afternoon before leaving, we take time for a brief outing to the Bitterroot River for photos.
I am grateful for the time I’ve had with my kids and my siblings and their families this summer. They are all dear and special people in my life. It will be several months before I see them again, but I will be wishing them well-being at all times.
