Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Floating the Clark Fork



We floated the Clark Fork river this past weekend. It is a lazy float, dotted with ripples and only one "wave". That would be Brennan's wave, which is the spot for kayakers in town. The kids loved it and braved the chilly waters. I have to say it is a relaxing way to spend a hot afternoon. Cheap, too. We rented innertubes for $8. You could see the fish rising around us, and if you looked down through the clear waters, you could see large trout hanging out at the bottom. Brian went back to fish the next day. I didn't take the camera in the water, so I only have pre-float trip pictures.

Sandy's Wedding



Congratulations to Sandy Sweatland, now Sandy Foltz. Brian's sister got married on July 17th in a beautiful ceremony. It was a fun wedding and we are very happy for the couple. I'll post more pictures when I get them. We had a fun time catching up with the extended Sweatland clan, and also visiting with my Brother and his family. As always, the time seemed too short.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

A Weekend by the Rivers






We had a great weekend, and we spent lots of time playing in the water. The 3 pictures on the bottom are of the smaller stream, Rattlesnake Creek, which is just a few blocks from our house. The kids played in the rocks, built dams, and found a log that was chewed on by beavers. The run-off from the snow melt has finished, and the water is as cold as it is clear. The picture of Brian and Jacob was after Brian's half-marathon on Sunday morning, and that is the Clark Fork River. The kids were playing by the 'wave' where the kayakers practice and tubers float by. We did see a crawfish about the size of Brian's hand, but we couldn't catch it.

Monday, July 5, 2010

4th of July








Just a few pics from the past week. Missoula has a great farmer's market on the weekends, and we generally go there. Someone brings hula hoops and just lays them out for anyone to use, and kids of all ages grativate to them. The other pictures include Annie on a hike up the "M", Mount Sentinel. We made it 2/3 of the way (400 feet elevation gain out of 600 feet total), which is decent. You can see the town and the Grizzlies stadium in the background. The other pics are from a trip to Montana Snowbowl, a ski area about 20 (?) miles or so from our home. It was chilly enough on the mountain top to justify a small fire in the ski lodge. The kids weren't phased by the chair lift, and we all go to see a black bear foraging for food.