BUSHNELL BACK TRACK GPS - D-TOUR

Ok, some people have expressed concern about poor Kinsey not getting anything for Christmas whilst I made out like a bandit getting several gifts including a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee. It should be abundantly clear who the "nice" girl around here is.

Not to worry though, she did get a present. It was a personal GPS. The Bushnell Back Track GPS D-Tour to be exact.

Bushnell D-Tour Personal GPS

Regular readers may recall Kinsey got herself temporarily lost last spring whist hiking around Chief Mountain. Click here to read her account of the story. She almost never gets lost so this was a little hair raising for her. A good friend who read the story suggested this little device might be helpful. Of course she's going to have to learn how to use it first. So far the learning has been going rather slowly. It took her an hour to figure out how to set the clock! She'll get it eventually I'm sure. Then again, hope does spring eternal.

In addition to finding your way back on a trail you can also find your car in a parking lot. This could also be handy. But, at the moment Kinsey's problem is recognizing her car. There are so many charcoal grey Grand Cherokees around here she keeps trying to get into other people's cars. The Cherokee is a way popular car, around these parts, that's for sure.

Anyway, just wanted you to know not to worry about Kinsey she got hers!

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yesterday we got five inches of new snow. Today it's sunny and just gorgeous. It's so beautiful it's like living in a Christmas card.

You already know I got a new 2015 Grand Cherokee for Christmas. If that wasn't enough I got two more presents this morning. You are probably thinking I'm spoiled. You might be right. It's probably the reason one of my presents was a training vest. I continue to suffer from irrational exuberance when meeting new people. Kinsey signed me up for a training class this summer but the trainer took her money and left town. So, I am still a work in progress.

Kinsey is hoping this vest will keep people from approaching me. Everywhere I go people want to pet me and tell me how beautiful I am. I love it! Maybe too much. Kinsey is hoping if I get a little less attention I might settle down. We'll just have to see how that goes. I can't help it if I'm a happy dog.

My new training vest and old frisbee

I also got a new frisbee. It's not really a Frisbee. I just call it that because the word frisbee is as exciting as the word dinner. I make really short work of my "frisbees". And, I'll probably make really short work of this one. It's not my usual flying disk made be Chuckit!. The one I got today is a Booda and they're kind of light weight. . My Chuckit Paraflight is at my feet in the above photo and you can see how tattered it is.

My new frisbee

So, as you can see Santa Claus was really good to me. I sure hope he had on his long johns last night because even though it's beautiful it's pretty cold.

Kinsey and I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas and got lots of fun things. I'm a lucky dog and I know it. I hope you are a "lucky dog" too!

Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

I Just Got a Brand New 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Kinsey just bot me a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Edition 4x4. At least she keeps telling me she bot if for me.

We've been driving a 2012 Ford Expedition 4x4. Kinsey didn't like the thing from the start. She bought it because her Explorer, which she adored, was a 1999. She thought maybe it was time to get more current technology for safety reasons. When she got to the Ford dealer she discovered, the years old, traditional style Explorer had been discontinued in 2010 and replaced by a crossover thing. Koty was still with her at the time and his crate would not begin to fit in the redesigned Explorer. After looking at other makes it appeared the entire auto industry had gone to the crossover mid size SUV. She looked for a used 2010 but couldn't find one. Apparently,  other Explorer lovers were reluctant to let go of the last "real" Explorer.

In the Explorer Koty's crate fit perfectly with the box facing forward just behind the passenger seat. It was an arrangement that made it like they were traveling together. But, Koty was getting too old to jump through the passenger side and the crate eventually had to be turned around to the back and a ramp placed on the bumper for him to walk up.

With little enthusiasm Kinsey settled on the Expedition. She never liked the car. It was so big it barely fit in the garage. It certainly wasn't handy to run errands in. But, worst of all, it was not the least bit sure footed on snow and ice. The truck was so heavy, even with studded snow tires, it easily lost traction.

Koty passed away in February of 2013. I arrived not long after. I didn't need as large a crate as Koty and I could clear a six foot fence if I put my mind to it but because of the way the back seats went down I still had to be way in the back looking out at where we'd been not where we were going. It was like being Siberia I can tell you.

Finally, I guess, Kinsey had had enough of the Expedition and started looking at what was out there. She narrowed it down to the Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. In the Explorer she felt like she was sitting in a hole. If she raised the seat her legs knocked into the steering column trying to get in and out. Jeep's down hill assist works on engine compression. The Explorer seemed to use the brakes. About the only thing the Explorer rated higher on, as far as Kinsey was concerned, was more cargo space.

So, Kinsey bought me the Jeep Cherokee Limited Edition and I'm just as happy about it as she is. She thinks, dollar for dollar, the Jeep is a better value. You can spend $60,000 plus on a Jeep but I doubt you get $20,000 worth more stuff. I think what you get is bragging rights. Thrifty Scot that Kinsey is she could give a fig about bragging rights.

Me in my new car

This car has so many bells and whistles I have no doubt it's going to take Kinsey awhile to figure everything out. Right off the bat her biggest challenge is getting the Jeep started. She keeps looking for the ignition and there isn't any. It has the push button start and keyless entry. It takes a while to teach and old dog new tricks but I'm confident she'll get the hang of it, eventually.

Meanwhile, I'm styling up front with the wind in my hair from the sunroof! Thanks for buying me a new car Kinsey. I'm loving it.

Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

Bridger-Teton Grizzly Attack

Well, at last, my next installment on our Fall trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

My last story took us into the Gross Ventre an incredibly beautiful area you don't want to miss if you are visiting Teton National Park.

This day September 21, 2014, we headed for the Bridger-Teton National Forest. For those just joining us we don't do much inside the national parks on accounta they don't let my kind hike on their trails. What a lot of people don't realize is, surrounding most national parks are equally beautiful places without the crowds. Forget I told you that.

Up and at 'em early we headed out. From the RV park we were staying in it was a pretty good distance. Kinsey has decided when we go back we will plan ahead and make reservations at Colter Bay, inside the park. It's a much better location to reach the places we want to go. Kinsey is generally all about planning but this year she was out to lunch. I duh know, maybe it's her age. Thank goodness she's doing that Luminosity thing. Maybe it will save some brain cells.

From Moran Junction we headed east to Road 50 which takes you to the Buffalo Fork trails, north and south. Kinsey had her eye on Buffalo Fork South which looked on the map as though it was a nice walk along the creek. The trailhead is a major staging area for the outfitters and the place was packed with horse trailers not tourists.

Off we went. As soon as we cleared the initial rise we saw that the trail headed down for about a quarter of a mile and the drop off was a good one. The trail was nice and wide as trails go but Kinsey, rightly, doesn't trust me not to get excited about something and yank her right over the side. It was a long way down. You might wonder why she didn't just let me off the lease. The problem with that, remember Taylor Creek? If some riders were coming up whilst I was headed down, my irrational exuberance could very well get somebody else hurt. the only sensible thing we could do was abort.

Buffalo Fork Trail

Kinsey had hoped to get a little professional help with my exuberance this past summer but the trainer took her money and skipped town. And, get this, a neighbor recommended the trainer!

As luck would have it there was another trail nearby, the Clear Creek Trail.  Kinsey didn't realize you cloud drive over to the trailhead so we walked to it through a meadow. I didn't mind because I got to get off leash and stretched my legs. There were bear warnings everywhere and Kinsey has a hard and fast rule, no running free on mountain trails where visibility is limited.

The Tetons

The trail was a pretty good aerobic exercise and the views, like the one above, were beautiful, but, to get anywhere really cool was about six miles. Me, I coulda done it easy peasy but you know who has her limitations. The truth is, neither one of us really cares if a trail turns out to be a beauty gold mine. We just love being out in the wilderness. We saw some bear scat and a couple of tracks but no bears.

Molly Montana on the Clear Creek Trail Bridger-Teton NF

You will note from the above photo I was still looking trim in my Naked Girl cut. Boy, I sure hope I get that hair do again next year. Just not at Petco.

On our way back, as we crossed the meadow, we ran in to a Forest Service person. Whilst Kinsey flapped her gums I took the opportunity to run around like a banshee. Wheeee! From her conversation Kinsey learned there had been a very nasty bear attack just the week before. According to this person, all they'd found of the guy were a few body parts. The man was a researcher and known to the forest service. He apparently didn't believe in either bear spray or guns. What was that Forest Gump said? "Stupid is as stupid does". That guy was just asking for it. Kinsey carries both. Her plan to defend an attack: Hit the bear with spray. If that doesn't work, let the bear get as close has you've got the guts to let him and empty the gun close range. Thank goodness we've never had to test her resolve. But, we don't doubt for a second that it could.

The Fall colors this year were exceptional. On the drive back out we saw this pretty, bucolic scene of horses in a pasture. Truthfully, the only interesting thing in that photo are the horses. I bet they'd love to run with me! Can't you just see it?!

Ranch Along the Buffalo Fork

The colors were so beautiful we even had a great view at the RV park. If you like color you gotta come here in the Fall if you not done it. It's really amazing or so Kinsey sez. :)

Teton Fall

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

25% Off Sale On Entire Open Stock Fine Art Photo Colections

I apologize for not getting my Bridger-Teton story published. As the cry goes "It isn't my fault!" Kinsey has been on one of her tangents and I depend on her for my photos. She got the bright idea that she should should make public a collection of her photographs that didn't make the grade for her limited edition collection but are pretty darned nice. She's doing it as much for herself because it's a good way to get the images properly stored and catalog for the ages.

The problem is; when she gets one of these ideas she goes obsessive and it's not a project that will get done in a very big hurry because there are an thousands upon thousands of images to sort through, upload and catalog. So far she's gotten over 500 up and running. She's got 16 different galleries so you can easily look at what interests you. I just noticed she hasn't got one yet with seascapes. I'll have to get on her about that.

Since everyone else in the cosmos is having a sale Kinsey thought she would too. All of the images are for sales in various paper print sizes and on canvas plus you can get note cards, playing cards, puzzles and mouse pads. Maybe gift ideas? You can see all the different galleries in the collection by clicking the highlight.

EVERYTHING IS 25% OFF! Use this coupon code at checkout HOLIDAY$$  Sale ends 12-15-14.

That butterfly in the right hand corner is an example and here's another.



I had to make a deal with Kinsey; if I posted this she would get me my photos today so I can write my next story. I apologize for the interruption to our regularly scheduled content but I will be back today or tomorrow with another great yarn!

Ciao for now!
Hijacked Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I just wanted to send a very heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers. I really have a wonderful time bringing you stories of our adventures. It really makes my day to know you enjoy them too!

The below photo was taken of a wild turkey at out Montana ranch. We thought it was an appropriate picture for our Thanksgiving card to you!

While these wild turkeys are beautiful they are tough as shoe leather cooked. I wouldn't mind but Kinsey wants no part of him! She much more enjoys watching them.

Wild Turkey

Kinsey joins me in wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

Stillwater River

I still have more stories to tell about our trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons but getting Kinsey to give up the photos is like trying to pull teeth. I'm hoping the one about the Bridger-Tetons will get done next week. The is the one where the week before there had been a grizzly attack and all they had found of the guy was a hand and a foot.

Molly on the bank of the Stillwater River

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

It's my birthday today! I am two years old.

Don't know what Kinsey has planned for me. It's 2 degrees outside so I doubt I'm going to get a lot of our door play time. I also doubt I'll be getting any new toys. Every night Kinsey picks up my toys and puts them in the toy box. Everyday I haul every single one out. The living room looks like a bomb filled with toys has blew up.

The Gros Ventre

If you're visiting Tetons National Park, Gros Ventre Road is a drive you don't want to miss. Kinsey ranks it the most scenic we saw. Of course we took it because it leads to the Bridger-Teton National Forest where moi is allowed to romp and roam.

On the Road to the Tetons

Friday Kinsey packed us up for our move to Jackson Hole. It had rained the night before and I could hear her outside grumbling about getting wet. You may recall we ended up in a back in space upon arrival in West Yellowstone. The reason Kinsey likes the pull through is because you can just pull up to the RV, hook up your toad and be off. There's a lot more jiggering around with the back in arrangement. She's constantly looking at me and asking "Why aren't you giving me a hand here?" Well, duh, I'm a dog!

Taylor Creek - Gallatin National Forest

After consulting our mega map (see The Lake that Tilted) Kinsey ordained we should take the trail to Albino Lake in the Gallatin National Forest. As usual, I had no say in the matter. I make a to do about having no say but the truth is, I don't really care we go as long we go!

Ghost Village and William Devane

Since we had had to cut our Red Canyon hike short, because you know who forgot to put duct tape on here heels, Kinsey decided to drive a little further west on 287. We had been told that there was a Ghost Village below the Hebgen Lake dam.We found "the village" and William Devane.

Hiking Red Canyon-Gallatin National Forest Montana

So, Kinsey unfurled her monster map, (see my previous post by clicking here) of the Gallatin NF and plotted a plan to hike the Red Canyon trail. Seriously, there was no room for me in the RV when she had that map open.

Hebgen Lake - The Lake that Tilted

Kinsey spent quite a bit of time at the Gallatin Ranger Station in West Yellowstone getting the scoop on good places to go hiking. So much time in fact, much of the day had been frittered away.  That Kinsey, she's quite a talker. And, you know, I'm stuck out in the car the whole blinking time watching cars go by.

Yellowstone, Sort Of .....

So, we made it to Yellowstone. Kinsey likes to travel in the Fall because, theoretically, the tourists should have cleared out. Apparently, that theory is obsolete. There are now hoards of Baby Boomers running around thinking the same thing.

Highballing Our Way to Yellowstone

Last time I shared Kinsey's manic preparations for our trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons (see Gearing Up to Travel). To begin our journey we got up at the crack of dawn, in fact dawn hadn't even cracked yet. All that was left to load into Clementine was the food. Shadow was already shadowing.

Clementine & Shadow

Gearing up to travel

Each year Kinsey tries to take at least two trips in our RV which she calls Clementine. Here in Montana there are only six months to get the trips in, if you are lucky. Kinsey prefers to get the trips in before the tourists arrive and after they thin out. Our spring trip this year was to St. Mary on the Blackfeet Reservation and in July we took a quick trip to the Blackfeet Pow Wow in Browning. This is the first in a series of posts recounting our experiences on the trip we just finished to Yellowstone and the Tetons.

The Eagle Has Landed

Well, Kinsey and I have landed. Which means we made it home from our latest adventure.

We had a super duper time of it. I think Kinsey is a little pooped out. I'm not a lot of help accept for supervision and getting under foot. This was my longest road trip ever and I'm beginning to appreciate that solo RV'ing is a lot of work. Thank goodness Kinsey really loves it despite the work and responsibility. The old girl is pretty handy I'll grant her that.

Our trip took us down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We mostly just drove through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks. US national parks don't allow dogs on the trail so we explored the surrounding national forests. What adventures we did have. We even met a movie star fly fishing on the Madison River in Montana.

So, stay tuned. I kept notes on all our travel experiences and as soon as Kinsey recovers I'll be after her to process the photos of our trip so I can show you as well as tell you about all the cool stuff we saw and experieinced.

The below photo is just one I got her to do for me. It's a picture of our rig at the Yellowstone Holiday RV park on Hebgen Lake in Montana. It was a very cool place to end our trip. We were right on the water!

Clementine (Winnebego View) & Shadow (Ford Focus) on Hebgen Lake, Montana

The photo was taken at sunrise. I don't seem to be in it so I musta still been snoozing.

Ciao for now.
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Jackson Hole Wyoming

Wowie! Zowie! I'm on my second RV trip and it's been awesome so far.

No internet for five days. Been in Yellowstone and the Gallatin National Forest. Going to have some great stories and photos to share.

Got into Jackson Hole yesterday afternoon. The fall colors in the Tetons are incredibly beautiful. Can't wait to get out hiking.

Weather is very warm and sunny. Must be why there are still so many tourists around. In Jackson Hole itself the traffic is bumper to bumper. Kinsey was very surprised. She hasn't been here for about six years but thought the tourists would have thinned out by now. According to one local we talked to, it has! That is hard to imagine.

Don't have any photos for you as Kinsey isn't processing any on this trip.

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

Flathead Sunrise-Tobacco Valley Sunset

On a recent trip to the Flathead we experienced a really beautiful sunrise. I think it was beautiful.

Sunrise in the Flathead Valley

But, then, shortly thereafter we had  this sunset in the Tobacco Valley. Really kinda tough to choose a favorite.

Tobacco Valley Sunset

One thing's for sure, sunrise or sunset NW Montana has them! Fall is a particularly prolific time for sunrises and sunsets.

This week's photo story "Blowing in the Wind"

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Dickey Lake

On our way down to the Flathead we stopped in at Dickey Lake. Dickey is one of Kinsey's favorites because of the color of the water.  It is very gorgeous. They say the color comes from glacial waters. If I didn't know I was in Montana I'd think I was in the tropics.

Dickey Lake

The wind was kicking up a bit. When it's totally calm it's even more beautiful as the light refracts off the water. This is a great kayaking lake too. The water is crystal clear.

Crystal clear water at Dickey Lake

The shoreline goes from primitive to developed. Since the Canadian dollar has gained so much strength against the US dollar Canadians have invaded the place building great big homes on the shore. Oh, well, nothing lasts forever.

Canadian invader

We spied this interesting outfit on the south end of the lake. The south end is a known nesting spot for loons so this guy is either doing research or something very illegal. You can't see it, cuz the photos so small, but there's a golden lab on board.

Squatter on Dickey Lake

I wish Kinsey would figure out some way to take me along with her when she kayaks. Her kayak is to small for the both of us and she can't get a bigger one because she couldn't handle it alone. Maybe she could figure out something to tow? It would have to be fairly stable cuz I'm still no fan of swimming.

If any of my readers has an idea about how I can go kayaking too please let me know and I'll pass it along to Kinsey. I would be forever in your debt.

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Walk Along the Tobacco River

Yesterday Kinsey and I took a walk along the Tobacco River, from the village of Eureka, MT to Pigeon Bridge.

It's really amazing how much wildlife you can run into on this trail. Kinsey has run across moose, black bears, elk, deer, and all kinds of water fowl including osprey and bald eagles. She says this is her favorite photo taken on this trail. Canada Goose & Gosling

We didn't see anything as exciting as a bear or moose. Course, squirrels excite me. We did see a golden eagle, a mallard family, osprey and some elk.

Osprey perched high in a tree top

I'm gonna have to get over this squirrel thing. This female elk was right in on our path and I didn't even notice her. When our presence finally spooked her two big bulls came bounding out of the brush and ran after her. Kinsey was only carrying her little Panasonic point and shoot so there wasn't any chance of photographing them. It was pretty to see though.

Female Elk

I don't know why taking photos of stuff just lying there doing nothing fascinates Kinsey but for some reason it does. I mean seriously what's up with this picture? She gets final editing say so .....

I'm shilling for Kinsey's blog. Check it out.


Well that's it from here!

Ciao for now!
Molly Montana

My Mom Knew Clark Gable

Here is the link to a kind of a cool story that my mom Kinsey Barnard wrote about Clark Gable. She actually knew him. Which pretty much tells you she's a old duffer. :)

If you'd like to read it just follow this link Clark Gable the King of Hollywood

Naked Girl

Gee whiz, if my dog grooming nightmare wasn't enough of an insult now Kinsey is calling me "Naked Girl". I mean seriously how would you like it if someone yelled at you "Hey, naked girl!"?

Do I look naked?

I thought I had heard the last of my many names back in September but nope. You may recall she has called me Buddha Baby because I can sit quietly for long periods of time. Or, Ling Ling because when I'm racing around through the woods I look like a panda bear. Or, Pond Scum Puppy because I smell like pond scum after I've been swimming in the ponds.

But, oh no. She's still at it. Before the dog grooming nightmare Kinsey was calling me Stinky Butt. She even went so far as to make an appointment with the vet to check my bottom glands.  But, she cancelled that when she found out gland check was included in the grooming. I did not have a gland problem. The stinky was caused by stuff getting hung up in all the thick hair I have back there. Believe it or not last winter when it was well below zero my poopies would freeze to my hair before they could fall to the ground. Kinsey had to cut them out.

But, this latest one Naked Girl. It's just too much!

Look at me! I'm cute!

Will someone please try and talk some sense into her before I go crackers?!

Needing your help, I am
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Dog Grooming Nightmare

So while Kinsey was having fun at the Event at Rebecca Farm I was left home alone suffering the slings an arrows of grooming run a muck.

This was my first summer jumping in and out of the ponds here at the ranch in order to keep cool. In the nearly fourteen years they were together Kinsey never took Lakota to a groomer. She brushed him out now and again but that was it. As a result she was not paying proper attention to what was going on with her new companion, that would be me. Before we knew it I had matted hair all over. On my haunches I was a real mess.

Before the Grooming Nightmare

Kinsey tried to comb the mats out but it was useless. First of all, I hate to be groomed so it's not easy to groom me under any circumstances. Under the circumstances in which we found ourselves it was impossible. Kinsey did try. I'll give her that but I wouldn't standstill so it was pretty much hopeless.

Whilst we were down in the Flathead, Kinsey took me over to Petco for a consultation. She knew other people that liked the groomers there. We met a very nice young named Jake and we both liked him. Jake said he thought my mats could be groomed out without shearing me like a sheep. How's that for irony? A sheep dog getting sheared. The place felt right to both of us so Kinsey made an appointment for the next day.

We showed up at the appointed hour and some older gal said she would be taking care of me. We had assumed Jake would be doing the grooming. As soon as this woman came out from behind the counter I tried to leave the building. I tried to give Kinsey every indication I did not like this woman. It is the first time in my life I have been anything but thrilled to meet a new person. I know Kinsey was concerned by my reaction but she left me anyway. Thanks a lot.

An hour after Kinsey left. The woman gave up on trying to comb out the mats. She called Kinsey and told her so. She got permission to try and shave the mats off. That's when the real rodeo started. Finally, Jake was free so he tried to help but by this time I was so freaked out I wouldn't even let him work on me. Finally, Jake called Kinsey and said I was only partially shaved but he was not willing to stress me out any further. God bless Jake. I had been in that horrible place for three and a half hours!

I wish you could see what I looked like. Kinsey took some photos but accidentally erased them before she downloaded them. I can tell you I was a sight. Tufts of hair on an unevenly shaved body. I was a mess. I looked like I was moth eaten. Jake suggested I bring Molly in on the following Monday and he would try and finish the job.

So we went back on Monday. She wasn't supposed to but Kinsey stayed and held me through the whole thing. I felt much safer with Kinsey holding me and Jake doing the grooming. It took about forty five minutes to finish the job. A made very little fuss. Below is how I looked after the second go around.

After the Grooming Nightmare-Short Haired Australian Shepard

I can hardly believe it's me but at least I no longer look like a flea bitten refugee dog. I may be a new breed, Short Haired Australian Shepard. Lucky me!

It's so hot right now I think I'm actually going to like it for awhile. It remains to be seen if my hair grows back to the beautiful coat I once had. We were told that sometimes if you shave a dog with an undercoat it doesn't grow back like it was before. We're hoping I'm one of the lucky ones.

Even though we liked Jake we both agreed the vibes in that Petco shop were not right for us and we will not be returning.

Ciao for now,
The very light and airy Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Fabulous Championship Cross Country Horse Competition

Kinsey went to this event in Kalispell this weekend that got her all lathered up. It was The Event at Rebecca Farm celebrating the year of the horse. The event has been going for a number of years but this is the first time Kinsey has gone. I, of course, did not get to go. This is partially my fault. Dogs are welcome but Kinsey wanted to try an take pictures of the jumpers on the cross country course and, well, that would have been kind of hard to do with me in tow.

Horse and Rider Jumping at the Event at Rebecca Farm

Kinsey was practically raised on a horse and even though she doesn't have any now her love of them still burns bright. Hmm, I wonder if should be jealous?

Sports photography certainly isn't her forte but she was all excited to give it a try especially because it was horses.

She has put together a slideshow of some of the pictures she took and asked me to post the link to my blog. I am a good and obedient little girl so here it is.

Slideshow of The Event at Rebecca Farm Kalispell, Montana 2014


Ciao for now,
Molly Montana

Pinkham Creek Picnic-Kinsey Tangles with a Wasp Nest

Today Kinsey and I had a little picnic at Pinkham Creek. Kinsey some times likes to pick up a Subway sandwich and go to some peaceful place after running errands in the village. Pinkham Creek is one of those places. The weather has cooled off a little so it was quite pleasant. I could jump in the creek to cool off if I got too hot. I hear Kinsey complaining about the Subway sandwiches lately. She used to think they were pretty good. She thinks they're watering down the dressings. She complains a lot these days about prices going up and quality going down. Me, I'm just a happy camper.

Getting cool in Pinkham Creek

When we got back this afternoon Kinsey needed to clean the drain pipe at our pond. The pond is about 3/4 of an acre and the drain pipe is about 15 feet from shore so she has to paddle a kayak out there to get the job done. I swam a couple of strokes over at Pinkham Creek but I'm none to fussy about this swimming thing yet. I just watched Kinsey paddle around from the shore.

A funny thing did happen. After cleaning out the drain pipe Kinsey cruised along the shore picking up dead cattails floating on the water.  All of a sudden I see her flailing around swinging the paddle about and generally acting like a madwoman. Turns out she practically stuck her hand into a wasp nest that was embedded in the bank. Those wasps came flying out after her and she really got her knickers in a twist. Nearly, turned that kayak right over. Luckily she didn't get stung. She's kind of allergic to insect bites. One summer a bull hornet bit her and her hand swelled up like nothing I have ever seen. We had to make a quick trip to the Urgent Care place for that one.

After Kinsey was done fooling around in the kayak she played a little "frisbee" with me. It's not really a Frisbee but it's like one and I love to play with those flying disk things.

Yee Haaa 

Gads I'm good looking

All in all a pretty darned nice day.

Ciao For Now
Molly Montana

©Kinsey Barnard

Blackfeet Dancers at the 2014 Pow Wow

Last weekend we went over to Browning to attend the annual Blackfeet Pow Wow. We took Clementine and did an overnighter. It's kinda cool because you can pretty much pick a spot to park and park. As you might imagine I'm not allowed to go into the arena where the dancing was going on. There's not much for me to to tell you. I thought I'd just post a few of Kinsey's photograph so you can see what I missed.

Kinsey has a bunch more photographs she has uploaded to an online gallery. If you'd care to see them "click here".

Ciao for now,
MOLLY MONTANA

©Kinsey Barnard

Chief Mountain saves life - my first grizzly bear encounter

Since it was our last day on the reservation Kinsey decided we should try one more time to figure out which trail leads to Chief Mountain as in one that we could navigate without a machete.

Chief Mountain

Our first stop was a trail over to a water feature that Kinsey had been wanting to explore. Turned out to be a great stop. Not so much because of the water feature but because we continued on the path until it opened up into a meadow where we found a mare, her yearling and foal.

I totally made a nuisance of myself jumping and tugging on the leash. I dare say, Kinsey was very unhappy with my performance. The horses wanted to come to Kinsey but my shenanigans kept spooking them away.

Despite me she got some decent photos of the horses.

We continued on up the road until we got to one of the last trails we hadn’t tried this trip. Turned out to be the winner. This trail takes right off going up. We hiked in for a couple of hours. That got us to where the flora turned alpine. The trail started to get a little dicey so Kinsey decided it was far enough. She’s not one to take chances when alone in the wild. I wasn’t making things any safer with my continued lunging after ground squirrels and failing to pay attention to her.

We turned around and headed back. Normally, Kinsey looks back on a trail, every now and again, to make mental markers. A trail can look very different going in the opposite direction. Turned out I wasn’t the only one not paying attention. The trail ran up and down ravines. While we were following one trail we were passing others behind us without notice. It wasn’t long before Kinsey was unsure of which trail to follow. I could tell she was getting seriously spooked.

We were probably the first ones up here since last year. With new grass and no traffic there were places where the trail disappeared altogether. We came to one of those grassy places and suddenly there were trails all around us. We tried one but it wasn’t too far before Kinsey was sure it was the wrong way. We returned to the grassy spot. Kinsey wasn’t even sure we supposed to be in this spot. We tried another route but the flora looked wrong, alpine instead of sub-alpine. We went back to the grassy spot yet again. This time Kinsey looked up at the “Old Chief” and said out loud “Chief, I need your help. I have lost my way. Can you help me?” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she saw an innocuous wood block that for some reason she had mentally marked. She recognized it immediately. We went over to it and not far from it we found the trail down. From that point on there was no doubt we were on the right path. Maybe the Chief appreciated the dance she did for him the other day?

Off down the mountain we went. I could tell Kinsey was really relieved. I continued to be a brat pulling and tugging, still wanting to get one of those squirrels. I totally wasn’t paying attention but those squirrels. Kinsey is really good at spotting game. She says it isn’t so much good eyesight as it is a good eye. A good eye to notice something that out of place in the landscape. While I was being a brat she was noticing something very red in the green grass just in front of us. She knew it was either a cow or a grizzly.

It was a grizzly peeking through the bush at us.. Kinsey tried to get closer. She isn’t a wildlife photographer. Her longest lens is 300m. That is not a wildlife lens. Wildlife photographers use lenses 3 times that to get their photos of grizzlies. While she was trying to get closer I was catching on. I saw that bear and I went bonkers. Jumping, barking and growling. Well, so much for Kinsey’s photo op. That grizzly took off like a shot and disappeared into the forest. I’m in big trouble now. She told me in no uncertain terms we are going to get some professional help with my prey drive issues.

Big Grizzly Bear

I do get why Kinsey always keeps me on the leash when we are on a trail, letting me off only when we are in a clearing where she has high visibility. If I hadn’t been on a leash when we came upon that grizzly I would have chased it and somebody could have gotten hurt. Most likely me. But, Kinsey too. I could have high tailed it back to Kinsey bringing the bear with me. Hate it or not having me on a leash in certain environments is probably not a bad idea.

Well, for my last day on the Blackfeet Reservation this one was by far the most exciting. Tomorrow we will be packing up Clementine, hitching up Shadow and returning home. Honestly, I can’t wait for our next trip. This road tripping is fun stuff!

Ciao for now!
MOLLY MONTANA

©Kinsey Barnard

Russia Loves Molly Montana - We love Russia!

Kinsey was just going over the Google statistics for my blog and she is telling me that of all the countries in all the world we get the second highest readership from Russia. The Google map only shows the former Soviet Union so I mean Russia in the broadest sense. The US  is number one and Canada is number three.

We think that is really special and worth mentioning.

So, to all our Russian readers we both want to say thank you for reading our blog. We truly appreciate your support!

Ciao for now!
MOLLY MONTANA

Running Eagle Falls - Two Medicine - Rising Wolf - Glacier NP

Today, June 1, 2014, we headed over to Two Medicine. Kinsey likes to tell the story of the last time she traveled 49 to Two Medicine. The wind blew so hard it nearly blew Shadow (Ford Focus) right off the road. No joke. I can tell you for sure it's a narrow winding road with very steep drop offs. A road you'd want to be careful with on a calm day.

Kinsey always likes to check out Two Medicine and Running Eagle Falls. Running Eagle Falls is a beautiful waterfall and the story of Running Eagle, aka Brown Weasel, equally as beautiful. Water was just gushing over the falls.

RUNNING EAGLE FALLS

Of course I had to take Kinsey's word for it because we were back inside the park. My kind are not allowed in US National Parks. This is one of the few places Kinsey visits inside the park. She much prefers staying on the reservation where I am welcome and the trails are filled with spirits that make us both joyful. The US Government just never tires of telling people what they can and cannot do.

RUNNING EAGLE FALLS JUNE 2014

After paying homage to the falls we headed up to Two Medicine. Everything was closed up there too. So far no campground on the east side has been open.

TWO MEDICINE CAMPGROUND

Even though everything was closed the view of Two Medicine Lake and Sinopah Mountain were worth the drive. You can't ever discount the privilege of seeing, with your own eyes,beauty like this.

TWO MEDICINE LAKE AND SINOPAH MOUNTAIN

It turned out, the most beautiful site we were to see, this day, was yet to come. We headed back down the mountain driving along Lower Two Medicine Lake to 49. At 49 we turned north. About a half mile or so up the road Kinsey slammed on the brakes and swerved across the south bound lane to the siding. She grabbed her camera and jumped out of the car. She does this all the time. Frequently, scaring the heck out of me. I seldom have any idea what all the hub bub is about. Today what lit her fire was this image of Rising Wolf Mountain.

RISING WOLF MOUNTAIN

Pretty darned nice image if I do say so. Sometimes I have to say nice things because you know who is in control of the vending machine. Not this time. RISING WOLF MOUNTAIN

In my last post I said this was the last in the series but I got all mixed up. The last one comes next and it's a doosie.

Be sure to check out Kinsey's new blog The Liberated Photographer. Her essay on labels has been particularly popular. 

Ciao for now!
MOLLY MONTANA

©Kinsey Barnard