Black-eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

My neighbor had a very nice flower patch this year.

(And, yes, I had to restrain myself from deadheading the spent blooms.)

Tuesday fridge blogging

top of fridge
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

The top of my fridge. My plea: if you have tall houseguests (such as me), please make sure the top of your fridge is clean and organized.

The white basket holds various Thai ingredients. The stinkiest substance in my kitchen (and maybe the whole house) is a jar of Thai fish sauce. How can something that smells so bad taste so good?

You can also see some of my collection of refrigerator magnets. Let me assure you that they are in (approximate) "geographic order" ;-)

First snow of 2005/2006 season

First snow of 2005/2006 season
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

The cold front this morning dumped snow on all the surrounding mountains, including the Bridgers.

Woo-hoo!

Fairy ring

fairy ring
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

A fairy ring growing in my backyard.

Brick house

Brick house
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Brick houses are very rare in Bozeman. This one, located on the SW corner of Fowler and Babcock, was recently vacated. My guess is that apartments will soon sprout on the one acre lot.

Ugly streetscape

Ugly streetscape
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

An ugly view of the west side of Fowler, across from the Bozeman Ponds Park.

The grass is unmoved and the fence is falling down. I guess I'm getting grumpy in my middle age...

Canine beach

Canine beach
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

A beach especially for dogs at the Bozeman Pond Park. (I don't know the woman or the dog, but they seemed to be having a good time.)

Bozeman Pond Park

Bozeman Pond Park
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

A nice little urban park (it's nicer than the photo shows). Every summer the park hosts a fishing derby for the kids. In the winter there's a "polar bear" jump through the ice.

A black bear or two wanders by about every other year (maybe they come to shop at the Macy's in the background)

River birch

River birch
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

This funny looking tree is the only River Birch I've noticed in Bozeman.

River birches are common in Northwest Arkansas, where I lived before moving to Montana. I got pretty good at identifying trees in the "hickory-oak" forest ecology of the Ozarks. However, that knowledge doesn't help a whole lot in the forests of western Montana!

Penguins

I just saw March of the Penguins. I recommend it highly - an interesting story, well-told.

AFAIK, the closest place to Bozeman to see live penguins is the penguinarium at the zoo in Portland, Oregon.

Of course, you could always visit the cement penguin in Cut Bank, Montana.

Big box stores: Helena v. Bozeman

I visited Helena earlier today on business. I've only been to Helena twice, so I can't offer any big insights about Helena compared to Bozeman.

I did notice that the big box stores (Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Staples) in Helena have more garish exteriors than the same stores in Bozeman. For instance, the Helena Home Depot uses the company-standard bright orange sign and trim. The Bozeman Home Depot, on the other hand, uses sedate green trim and wood beams.

Don't worry, I'll post some pics later (;-)...

Call me "Stumpy"

Aspen stump
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Clumps of aspen trees are a common landscape feature in my neighborhood. Sometimes, clumps turn into stumps.

Garage makeover

This reminds me of a project I need to complete in the next several months...

Tuesday fridge blogging

Freezer
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Back by popular demand (ok - only one commenter). Here's a view of my freezer. Frozen veggies, frozen fruit (for smoothies), Omaha Steaks, leftover spaghetti sauce, etc.

Shocking

One of the signs of changing seasons - I get static electricity shocks all the time when the weather turns dry. It's kinda cool at night, 'cause then I can see the sparks.

Horse sculpture

Horse sculpture
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

This horse is made of chains welded together. He resides at the Museum of the Rockies.

"Fantastic Four" Barn

4 Barn
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

I'm not sure why this barn is advertising the Fantastic Four movie ;-)

White Barn

White Barn
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Located on county land on Baxter Lane, north of Bozeman.

New Houses on Baxter Lane

Houses on Baxter Lane
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

These houses are on "pocket lots". The garages are located on the alley behind the houses. Overall, I think this arrangement is a nice addition to the streetscape.

Locals Guide to Bridger Bowl

The Local's Guide to Bridger Bowl for 2005-2006 is now available at local ski shops.

For more info, check out my recent post at epicski.com (just do a search on my name: trurl2003).