Stormy Weather Montana Style

Misty mountain morning

Wow, did we get blasted with rain, wind and cool weather yesterday. I spent the evening wrapped in a down blanket, reading a good book, while sipping hot hibiscus tea. Yes, it was that kind of day.


According to the NWS, National Weather Service, yesterday, Montana was the number one state in the nation  for major storms and weather extremes. I bet we make that top slot quite often! In western Montana we had highs, in the frigid zone, the 30's, while eastern Montana suffered blazing heat  - 111 degrees in Miles City - along with those dreaded dry, hot winds which pushed many wildfires out of control; makes me very thankful for the rain.

Here in the Hellgate in a matter of hours we went from almost 100 degree heatwave to dropping into the low 50's. That cold front created havoc all over western Montana; uprooting trees, downing power lines, bringing hail deep enough to shovel. And I had just hung out our summer hanging baskets, which are now displayed prominently in the front yard on this monstrous wood framed bamboo structure we built in the spring with help from the kids. I had my doubts if our structure would hold it's own against the elements that rip through this canyon scouring every surface clean; but, even yesterday's fierce storm didn't budge the bamboo and the baskets merely swayed gently in the wind.

Even better, all this rain has created the greenest June for us. So beautiful to have  green mountains to look at when there are flats of flowers to plant.

A Fire Scarred Canyon

Maggy with her friend Emilie June 17th, 2012

I went up to the garden on Saturday and Sunday to plant bush beans and check on the peas I planted last week. So far the garden survives, but does not thrive, due to the cool nights, which keep dipping down into the high thirty's, hovering right above frost temperatures. I definitely set out my tomatoes and pepper plants too early. They are all frost nipped and sad looking. We are also experiencing one of the wettest June's in my memory. But, all the garden needs is some sunshine and warmer nights for the plants to really take hold and grow. So, here is hoping summer is on it's way.

I took this photo standing in our yard on August 2011 of the West Riverside Fire in Bonner

Until then there really isn't much to do in the garden, we just need to wait for mother nature to change course. While the girls were enjoying the see-saw I took a photo of the north side of the canyon where a wildfire burned across the mountain last summer. It sure is hard for me to look at the scars left by the fire. I know the mountain won't heal in my lifetime and far, far beyond. Nevertheless, I decided to publish the photo of the fire scarred canyon as the background photo in the title space for this blog, as it does reflect the reality of life in Montana; how harsh this climate can be, how destructive wildfire's are and the ruggedness of Hellgate Canyon. 

Montana is a state of extremes and our weather and geography are no exception. I remember well the afternoon when the fire started. It was so peaceful and quiet with a hot, dry wind. I was taking clothes down off the line when I heard fireworks in the distance. Mere minutes later the kids came running to tell me that the mountain was on fire. I knew right then the whole north side of the canyon would  burn; that the hot, dry August wind would push the flames east all the way to the Blackfoot River, which is exactly what happened. Below is a terrible yet amazing photo from the night of the fire, August 22nd, 2011. And as we approach the summer fire season remember the wise words of Smokey the Bear: Only YOU can prevents forest fires.

photo from the Missoulian

An Evening with a View

Milltown Garden next to the black tower with Clark Fork River in the distance

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My husband went up on the mountain last night and took these fabulous photos. The first photo is of the Milltown Community Garden. Most of the photos show the destruction of the forests from last summer's wildfire that roared across the mountains. I am pleased to see they have already begun reforestation and are planting trees. If you look closely you will see Mark disturbed a big, brown bear foraging for his/her evening meal. 

Brown Bear out for dinner

View of the Missoula Valley

Planting the Family Garden Plot: June 7th, 2012

Welcome to Gardening in Hellgate Canyon, Montana. As you might imagine, Hellgate Canyon, is not an easy place to garden.  It is the first week of June, the nights are still chilly, most evenings we are in the low forty's though we had a light frost just a few nights ago. Nevertheless, we are longtime Montanan's and are undeterred by the challenge. This year we decided to participate in a relatively new community garden, The Milltown Garden Patch. I will use this blog to chronicle our garden's progress. In this part of Montana we generally have about a 100 day growing season. So time is of the essence let's get to work!

This is the community portion of the Milltown Garden Patch

This is our family plot in the community garden

Emmett and Tristan in the Milltown Garden Patch

Native lupine and bear grass growing outside the garden. Mother Nature is way ahead of us.