Foto Story Friday #99-- A Hike

A few weekends ago we went for a hike in our local state park, Maksohika.

It's full of cool rock formations

pretty pruple and white wild flowers

a natural arch, on which to pose

and show us your attitude!

The views are like no other

All the above photos were taken on the Cap Rock trail.

At another location in the park there is an old cabin that we hiked into.  Another great place to show attitude, I guess!

Plus a cool place to hang from if you happen to be a boy!

The view from the cabin, if you know just where to look you can see the road that weaves up the side.... don't look too hard it is VERY hard to find.

A herd of horses we came across, not sure whose they are, we've never seen a herd there before.





Hosted by Cecily

Foto Story Friday #56 -- the beauty that surrounds me

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

When my sister and our oldest niece were here, we went up the road into Makoshika State park to play photographer. She posted some great shots here. Following are two of the over a hundred that I took.
I just love the rings of color.
I love how those huge rocks balance for years on the small pillars of sandstone. Makoshika is kinda like Montana's secret.
Monday morning, Troy said:"Let's go for a drive. There's this cool old car out in the middle of nowhere that you can take pictures of." I'm always up for taking pictures. We loaded the little kids up after sending the big boys to the pool and headed out in the country. Only problem was that the cool old car was gone! Troy couldn't believe it. It had sat on that corner for many many years.... as in it was part of the directions to get to this farm or that one. So we continued on..... it was a good thing he was driving, or we might still be out there wandering the dirt roads!
We found this cool old church at the intersection of two roads.
This bumpy less traveled road takes you to a place called Johnson's Reservoir. Where after a short hike, you can fish. We stayed in the truck, it's snake season, ya know! :) (It continued on, but we turned around.)
Several turns later we came upon this old farmhouse.
Just down the road within sight is another old farmsted. I loved this house and took a few different angles on it. I love the dead tree in the front and the bright red brick chimney. But I really like it in sepia.
This is the front porch screen door and I love it, like a door into yesteryear. So many stories it could tell.
Hanging on a fencepost waiting to be picked up by the farmer/rancher was this roll of barbed wire.
Tuesday we took another road trip, this one east into North Dakota. (These last photos were all taken out of a moving vehicle cruising down the freeway at 75-80 mph.)
The North Dakota Badlands.
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is right along this stretch of freeway. One day we will actually stop and check it out. Also this area is the National Grasslands. They have a big fence and the buffalo roam in it. This was the first time I had actually seen the buffalo there. (The National Bison Range is in western Montana, which I have been to several times.)
On the ride home we watched a storm roll in. The clouds were interesting to watch.
As we rolled across the MT border, the sun peaked through the clouds affording the above shot.
Shortly after-wards, it dumped big time on us!
This week I have seen beauty all around me in nature and man-made. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!

My World -- Makoshika State Park

For more trips to other places around this great earth we live on go here!
I'm so slow in getting this post up.  I've been busy with, ya know, the usual: annoying my husband and bugging my kids!

For this My World post I thought I would talk a little about the state park that is honestly just up the road from me, Makoshika {pronounced: ma ko shi ka}. {You really should click on these photos to get a better look at the beauty of the park.}
Robby holding the flat Stanley doll that came to us for a trip around town in 2005.
Looking towards the city of Glendive.
The Cap Rock trail features this natural bridge.  Because of natural erosion, this trail was closed last year.  Part of this bridge has worn away.  It is such a bummer that you can no longer take the trail.  Back in 2003 when I was a Girl Scout leader, we took the girls on this trail and worked on building a shelter if you ever got lost in the area.
My bud, Dezi, looking out over the Cap Rock trail.
This is the Cap Rock.  There are several cap rocks in these badlands.
The views in Makoshika are quite amazing.  This is up near the amphitheater.
This is one of my favorite formations in the park.  It looks like an old western saddle.
Turn the corner and the views change.

Now what the park is famous for is the dino bones that are unearthed here.  There are dinosaurs all around town like the one below.  There is a huge dino sign that I took a photo of and then the sd card went crazy and ate the pictures! 
Shantel with the flat Stanley doll in 2005.

Every summer the park hosts a program for the kids ages 7-12 where they learn about the park, dinosaurs, plants and animals that live there and take hikes.  My kids did this a few summers and really enjoyed learning and having fun with the park rangers.  They took their Gurmpa on a hike when he came to visit, so they could show off their knew found knowledge.  The also have something called Buzzard Day held the second weekend in June.  Events such as Shakespeare  in the Park are held in July.  One of the local churches holds a Sunday service in the amphitheater during the summer months.  Twice a month June-August at the amphitheater is held adult campfire program.  There is plenty going in the summer months, so if you are ever in the area, you really must take a trip through Makoshika.  If you have 4-wheelers, it is a great place to take an easy trail ride.  I took my parents up in the park on ours just last month {November} and they really enjoyed it.

Thanks for visiting my world!  Come on join the craze and show us your world!

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 42 --nature MYWorld

This week's blessing is of the beauty of nature!  I love the outdoors and want to share some of my favorite places before it gets cold and I'll just be loving the indoors.  
The Mission Mnts.  I love this range located in northwestern Montana.
Flathead lake surrounded by the mountains.  
Glacier National Park
A beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains of Glacier.  These first four pictures were taken while I was still in high school.  Some friends came up from UT and we took a trip to Canada. We had a great time.  

 Just for fun I thought I'd throw this one of my sister, Ryanne, and I on that trip in Glacier.

Having grown up in the beauty of Western MT, I was sure there would be nothing to compare in Eastern MT. I was wrong!  Right up the road from me {maybe a mile} is a beautiful state park, Makoshika. 
A natural bridge.  Because of erosion, this trail has been closed.
Looking out over the beauty of the badlands.  
One of my favorite formations in the park is this one.

Thanks for visiting the beauties of nature here in the vastly beautiful state of Montana!

I've decided to link up to the new MyWorld site