Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette

I'm not ashamed to say that my dog Ritz is not a normal dog. His guardian breed instincts, combined with the fact that he grew up in a house full of cats, often result in odd behaviors. This is a perfect example of how he will do pretty much anything he has to, to be able to see out a window. We refer to him as "the neighborhood watchman" when he is in this position. You can rest assured that no solicitors make it to our door undetected.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Big

I usually like to choose photos that are meaningful to me or have an interesting story. This one is neither but it's fun! This is a picture of me with a giant stuffed moose in Cost-Co last winter. At the time I had a co-worker who loves moose so I knew I had to share this find with her. I had my boyfriend take the photo, much to his embarrassment, in the middle of the store, and my co-worker said she squealed with delight at the sight of me with this big guy.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy

       When I saw this week's topic, this photo came to mind immediately. It was taken a couple of summers ago on an awesome summer day when I had brought home a blue plastic swimming pool for Ritz and we were splashing around in it. I've always thought that if dogs truly can show emotion, this is a perfect example of a smiling happy face. 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

About three months ago I joined a roller derby team. I was looking to enrich my life, round it out a bit. I needed something in my life that wasn't my job or my home. It's something that has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember but I never thought I had it in me and didn't know how to go about getting started. This past spring, the universe starting sending me little messages and I decided I was going for it. So I talked to a couple girls who are on the team, checked out a practice and then signed up. In just a short time, roller derby has pushed me and challenged me more than anything else ever has. I've never been an athlete, never played a team sport. But I do now. It's been a bit slow going. I've watched some team mates breeze past me to pass the skills tests and move on to advanced levels but I'm still chugging along, and I know I'll get there when the time is right for me. I have an entire new group of friends, a new skill set and a new wardrobe. It's all mine alone and has already made me a stronger person in so many ways. 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary

When I was first learning to ski, there was a day when I was riding the chairlift alone. As I took in the scenery a thought occurred to me "Oh this is why people want to live here and do this". Skiing is an exciting, invigorating sport but it's punctuated by moments of stillness and quiet. Even if I spend the day skiing with friends, there's still an independent, solitary element to the activity. There's nothing else quite like it.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Everyday Life

I've often joked that in my next life, I want to come back as a dog with a life as sweet as the one Ritz has. This photo was taken on an afternoon when I was asking "Where's the dog?" and finally found him sound asleep like this.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Near and Far

This spring was the second time I've run the same 5K race that takes place just outside the borders of Yellowstone National Park. It's a challenging course but I enjoy running it because the views are amazing and quite honestly it makes me feel strong and very proud of myself. I love this photo because it places something sweet and simple, my boyfriend pinning my number on to help me prepare for the race, against the historic Roosevelt Arch in the background. It's ordinary yet scenic at the same time. 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Free Spirit

This is one of my favorite photos of myself. It was taken a few years ago at the Columbia River in Washington state, when I took a trip to see Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge. It's fitting for this challenge because it represents to me a time when I did something sheerly for my own enjoyment. At the moment this photo was taken, I was feeling pure joy, far free from my day to day life & obligations.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Merge

 

 

 

      Winter in Montana can be beautiful and enjoyable but it can also feel overbearing and endless at times. This photo is a perfect combination of all of the above. Sometimes on a frigid snowy day it can be hard to tell where the earth ends and the sky begins.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Growth

       Last year, my boyfriend and I went a bit overboard in our excitement to have a large garden. We started planting seeds in early March when it was still cold and snowy. We provided artificial light and tended to the seedings daily. It was a lot of work and we couldn't wait to get them outside. Our intention was to spend Memorial Day weekend transplanting our young plants and establishing our garden, but in typical Montana fashion those three days were gray, rainy and chilly. So what we ended up with were couple hundred small plants covering every flat surface in our home that got direct sunlight until mid June when we were finally past the danger of frost. This photo shows some tomato and corn plants in my laundry room.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Purple

    I didn't fully understand "purple mountain majesties" until I moved to Montana. I live very close to the Bridger Mountain range and even though I see it all the time, I'm constantly amazed by the beauty of the mountains. I took this photo one evening early this year as I was walking in my neighborhood and feeling particularly stunned by the scenery.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

      I like to play a game with my dog that I call "Let's See What Ritz Will Get Into". My boyfriend jokingly calls it cruelty. Usually it's boxes, suitcases, once a gigantic laundry bag. It makes for some pretty memorable photo opportunities. It was hard to choose a favorite but this was probably one of the funniest things he's done. Being a Shar Pei, Ritz has skin issues and so I feed him high quality food with supplements. I had a roommate who fed her dog a different, likely better tasting food and this empty bag was sitting in the living room waiting to go out with the trash. At least we thought it was empty but there were a few delicious morsels left and no matter how far back in the bag I pushed them, Ritz would scoot in to get them.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement

         My dog, Ritz, is a Chinese Shar Pei  so he has an excessive amount of skin and wrinkles. Because of this, he often does what I call a "full body shake" when he gets up from resting, as if he needs to get his skin back into the proper place. It's a flurry of noise and motion. This photo captured Ritz "mid shake" in our back yard.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting Moment

                                        

             Two summers ago, I traveled with my boyfriend and two good friends to see Dave Matthews Band in Idaho. It was the first time any of them had seen the band with me. The whole trip was a pretty trying experience for us but once we got into the venue all the hassles went away. This was the first time I'd ever seen the band in a general admission setting and the closest I'd ever been to the stage. My friend Jake took this photo as he stood behind me and that's my arm in the air. I love this photo because every time I look at it, it brings back the sheer joy I was feeling at that moment.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Create

            

          Initially I drew a blank for this challenge and wasn’t sure I had a photo to use. When I got to thinking, I realized that if there’s one thing we’re good at creating in my house it’s lovely meals. My boyfriend is what I call a “food snob” and he loves elaborate fancy meals. Lucky for me he likes to cook them as well and we are often trying new recipes and taking photos of our (more like his) creations.

            Last spring when his sister graduated with her masters degree, she wanted a home made sushi meal as her celebratory dinner. The two of them spent several hours in the kitchen preparing all the food and it was a lovely family meal. I was tasked with setting the table so I feel like I can take a little of the credit for the creating this time!

            

Weekly Photo Challenge: Close

              This is hands down my favorite photo of my pets. It was taken last summer when Jelly was still a young kitty. My boyfriend and I had been watching a movie and when we got off the couch and turned on the lights, this is how the pets were laying. They didn't even move when I got up for my camera. I love this picture because it is not only unbelievably cute but it really displays the rare bond that these two creatures share.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship

            This week’s subject has proven more difficult than I expected. Initially I thought it was a no-brainer. Because I’m an only child my friends fill many roles for me. I have a few friends I’ve known for many years and by now our bonds feel much like what I imagine having a sibling would be like (in fact, I often refer to my friend Jake as “my brother from another mother”). I have many wonderful photos of me with friends but as I scrolled through them all I realized that the most important moments of our friendships are not ones that are typically photographed. When I lost my job a couple of years ago, my close friends rallied around me in a way I had never imagined. I couldn’t have made it through that experience without them but it’s tough to capture that in a photo. So while thinking about why I love my friends, I remembered a text picture that I received from my friend Melissa a couple months back.

            Of course this isn’t very significant without a back story, but that’s what’s so special about friendships. This wine comes from the winery owned by Dave Matthews (I happen to harbor a borderline obsessive love for Dave Matthews). I had a difficult time finding his wine when it first came out and in fact was able to get some at Target thanks to Melissa telling me she had seen some there. On this particular day, Melissa had seen the wine on sale for a price that she believed was actually a mistake and was giving me a heads up so that I might be able to get some. This sweet friend of mine has two beautiful little children plus a husband so I am sure that her time at the grocery store is not leisurely. When I saw that she had taken the time to take this photo & text me, I was touched and I remember thinking “Now that is friendship”.    

Weekly Photo Challenge: Today

           

                              This week’s challenge required that I post a photo taken today.

            

       I took this photo this afternoon on my lunch break while out for a walk. I usually do the same lap on nice days to get out of the building to decompress. This is the view as I turn the final corner to head back to my office. I’ve lived in this town for five years and I’m still regularly in awe of the amazing scenery that surrounds us every day. It’s a reminder to me of why I choose to live here and sometimes I need that half way through a hectic work day!  

Weekly Photo Challenge: Summer

          

            When I was growing up in Pennsylvania, the first fireflies at dusk meant school would be out in a few weeks and summer was just around the corner. Here in Montana there isn’t anything quite so clear cut to indicate that summer is coming. In fact, we had temperatures in the 80’s last week and are under a winter storm warning this weekend. There are a lot of things we do here even if the weather isn’t ideal. You can bundle up to go hiking or camping, but there is one thing you won’t do until it’s truly hot and that is go floating. This is a photo I took of myself a couple summers ago after floating the Madison River with some friends. It’s a perfect snapshot of what summer looks like to me now. 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hands

One of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had in my life is hand raising kittens. The first one I ever raised turned 10 this year. She lives with my mom and she is a very special kitty. In the years since then I’d say I’ve probably had at least 60 kittens pass through my hands, some staying longer than others, some who lives I saved but also a few I couldn’t.

This photo was taken last spring on the day Jelly came to our home. It documents one of the first interactions between him and my dog, who is always very helpful in the kitty raising process.