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Sunday Snippet: Day 5.5 Montana: Exploring Big Sky
Carol here, once again taking over Nan’s blog. We stayed local yesterday and started with Nan’s favorite vacation tradition–a shampoo and blow dry at the Hair Ninja. Leah was not only a terrific hair stylist (she calls herself a “hairapist”) but an excellent source of information about the area. Like many resort towns, Big Sky sees frequent turnover in local business staff and shortages in some critical fields, like medicine. The year-round population of 3000 quadruples in the winter months. However, housing prices are high, so skiers and snow boarders find it difficult to settle in the area for long. Some restaurant menus change year-to-year as chefs don’t return. There…
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Day 4 Montana: A Grand Day of Being Tourists
What a day! Carol and I decided to head north west to Ennis and Virginia City after our friend Jeannie had told us what a fun place it was. Lots of Western history, which fascinates both of us. We weren’t disappointed! Especially Virginia City was filled to the brim with the Old West, from a bunch of old shops and businesses set up just as they were back in the 1870s to stage coaches and hay wagons running through town. (Those were available for rides.) Every museum building had a story to tell and so many artifacts from 15o years ago. We really got the flavor of life in an…
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Day 3.5 Montana: We Were Slugs…
Nan here. Okay, maybe not entirely sluggish, but after we wandered around Big Sky for a couple of hours and had lunch at a very nice country club with a fantastic mountain view, we decided not to try to go up to Ousel Falls right then. Our plan was to take our tired, altitude-sick butts back to the condo and rest. Then change into our jeans and hiking shoes and go up to the falls. Ummmm…not so much, cuddling up in blankets and reading and honestly, napping, it was after five when we both came back to the world. A brief discussion later and we were reminded we still have…
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Day 2 In Montana: Yellowstone Adventures
As Nan is still agog over the sights we saw today at Yellowstone National Park, she asked me to blog in her place. Yesterday, when we realized how close we were to one of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders, we decided we had to visit Yellowstone. We headed south, actually crossing into Wyoming after we entered the park, which also extends into Idaho. The shear size of Yellowstone is one of its most amazing features. The friendly National Park Service employee who sold us our pass suggested that we explore the Lower Loop today. It’s a mere 96 miles and spoiler alert–we didn’t make it all the way around. If…
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Nan & Carol’s Big Adventure Montana Style
We’re here! After a combined 4 airports, we’ve arrived in Big Sky and wow! It truly is BIG here! Big mountains, big rivers, huge rocks and trees… it’s a little overwhelming but absolutely gorgeous country. I left my local airport at 8:30 a.m.; Carol left her local airport 10:15 a.m. and we met up in Denver Airport. Then we flew together to Bozeman–one of the cutest airports I’ve ever seen! There are bears and moose everywhere and some crazy huge bird hanging from the ceiling! There’s even a convenient bin to dispose of your bear spray, which made us laugh. The whole airport was mountain stone and cedar beams–really pretty…
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Sunday Snippet: The And We’re Off…Almost Edition
I am beyond excited right now. I passed excited on Friday and I’m into full-on thrilled and nervous because on Tuesday, writer pal, fellow Tule Publishing author, and roomie extraordinaire, Carol Light, and I are headed to Montana! Yup. I decided that if I was going to write about Montana, I should go out to Big Sky Country and check out the glorious mountains and ranches and rodeos for myself. I asked Carol if she wanted to come, too, and she hopped onboard, so the mystery writer and the romance author are off on a big adventure! Next week, Carol and I will be here nightly with reports on where…
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Sunday Snippet: The Pure Joy Edition, Plus A Real Snippet!
It’s been hot and sultry here in the Midwest–temperatures in the nineties every day with humidity to match. T-storms come out of nowhere, shower us for a few minutes, and then the blazing sun returns to make the atmosphere even more heavy. It’s hard to even catch your breath outside. Except for morning or evening walks with my neighbor, I mostly stay inside in the AC and work and write. I set a goal each morning–this many pages done on an editing gig or this many words written today. I pretty much accomplish whatever goal I set. I mean, after all, when it’s too hot to be outside in the…
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Author Spotlight: Carol Light Has New Southern Secrets Mystery & a Giveaway!
We have a winner! Debra Pruss, you were drawn at random to receive an ebook copy of Death Watch. Enjoy the book and thanks for coming by the blog! We love our readers! I love having my writer pal Carol Light on the blog! Her mysteries are intriguing and keep me reading well into the night. I’m doubly excited this week because in less than two weeks, Carol and I are off on adventure–we’re heading to Montana for research, fun, and maybe even some writing! We’ll be posting our trip here, so stay tuned. In the meantime… here’s Carol with her newest release, Death Watch. Carol Light is an avid…
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Sunday Snippet: The July 4th Edition
I considered writing a long post about July 4 and what it means to be a true patriot right now, but someone else already did that. So go here and read Robert Reich’s message about what it means to be a patriot. I’ll wait. You’re back! Wasn’t that a terrific post by Professor Reich? I really have nothing to add this holiday weekend. I’m simply going to share this photo from July 4 a few years ago–Son and Grandboy celebrating America’s independence at the lake exactly the way Husband and Son did more years ago than I care to mention. I love our lake life together and how much Son…
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Sunday Snippet: The Memorable Days Edition
My friend Liz is a great source of inspiration, especially when it comes to blogging. When I don’t know what to write, she gives me fantastic ideas and one of her best is “Do a list.” Lists are always fun and something y’all can participate in, too. Today, I’m pulling this idea from a writing prompt that we used a few years ago on the Word Wranglers–telling about our five most memorable days, but the trick was that we couldn’t use the usual Pollyanna days–like our wedding day or the day our kids or grandkids were born or the day we signed our first book contract. Those are givens. So…