St.Paddy's Day - Red Lodge Style

Although I'm a little late in posting these pictures, I still wanted to share.













As we neared March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, I was told the City painted the stripe down the middle of Broadway Ave. green and that at 5PM a bagpiper walked down Broadway playing his pipes. I don't think I've lived anywhere where the community celebrates St. Patrick's Day in such a way so I wasn't sure what to expect.

March 17th arrives, I don my festive (dorky) green sweater, and off to work I go. For lunch we dined on Corned Beef and Cabbage (my first), which was quite good. As the work day wrapped up I headed out the back door but on the way to my car I heard a faint sound in the distance....the Bagpipes! I hurried back inside, grabbed my dad's camera, and ran out the front door - just in time to see the bagpiper and, surprise to me - a parade! (If 10 people count as a parade.) Also, not only did the City paint the green stripe, they also painted giant shamrocks and other festive images on sidewalks and street intersections. It's wonderful living in a town that cherishes the small moments and festivities just as much as the large.

That evening we tried to go to the local Elk's Lodge (another first) for more corned beef and cabbage but they were sold out! What a wonderful problem for them to have, there were double the amount of people than last year (like 200). They did have green beer although it was really just Bud Light, so I opted for genuine Irish beer instead. No, not a Guinness but a Smithwick's and a Harp. Don't worry - I walked home responsibly :)

Getting Settled

In the early morning following a snow storm.....when everything is blanketed in snow it's eerily quite. I love it.



Since arriving at my new home almost three weeks ago I've done quite a bit of settling in. Almost all of my boxes are unpacked and the ones that aren't are tucked away in the room no one goes into. :) So my living room, kitchen, bath/laundry room, and bedroom are nice and cozy and starting to feel more like home (especially since my bedroom is a mess.)

I'm loving the town, surprised at how much I think I'll enjoy 'small town living' at least for a while. This weekend was my first 'trip to the city', otherwise known as driving an hour to Billings to go shopping at stores other than our local IGA. It's ironic to think that last month this time I was 5 minutes from a Kohl's and a Target and now I actually have to fill up for gas before I head out for these stores. This will definitely be a good lesson in planning ahead, which as a planner, you'd think I'd be good at (you'd be correct some of the time).

Speaking of planning, my new job has definitely been a growing experience - in a completely good way. It's so refreshing to be learning new things. And let's be honest - to not have to deal with 'the public'. Working with my dad has been great too - it's interesting how similar we are. He runs his office much the same way I ran mine....and so I am now even more thankful for the wonderful staff I had back in Valdosta....their ability to accommodate my lack of focus and extreme multi-tasking was brilliant. Being on the other side of the fence is fun. No day has been the same yet, that's for sure. The fact that our office is right next to a coffee shop and one block up from a bakery are fabulous bonuses. Plus, I can walk home for lunch, walk to the post office, walk to the IGA.....well you get the point - I can pretty much walk every where. Except for when it's snowing. Or freezing. Which yes, is pretty often.

But, so far, my Montana Year is starting off nicely. I've finally figured out how to use my wood burning stove. I'm enjoying the slower pace. And not having to be at work until 9am is fabulous. The only thing that hasn't worked out so well: I tried baking a cake tonight....it looked beautiful until I tried to move it and then it crumbled. I'm blaming it on the altitude since I've never had this problem before. (But don't worry, it still tastes great so it won't go to waste.)

Below are pictures of Shelby's new 'security' post. From the back and the front. :)

Let's get this party started.....

Wow - so I'm really behind on my blogging - please forgive. So now, to get the party started - I'll give you a condensed version of the goings on since my last post in mid-January.

February 12 arrived before I knew it.....this being my last day at work and the start of my new adventures. After a busy, busy weekend of packing both my house and for two weeks of travel, I was off to Jacksonville. I was able to spend a wonderful week with my mother, sister, two precious nephews, and favorite (only) brother-in-law. We were also able to sneak in a visit to my aunt and uncle in Crescent City, FL. Knowing this was the last time I'd see my family for a while really intensified the need for quality time....unfortunately, before I knew it I was off to California for a week with my West Coast family.

California was definitely a much needed vacation. Minus a minor (okay, not so minor) stomach bug that kept me under the weather for a few days, the trip was fabulous. It had been far too long since I'd seen my grandmother, aunts, and uncle. As I get older, I value this time with my family so much more - it truly is the most important aspect of life. Everything else will come and go but family (and close friends) will be there forever, if you take the time to foster the relationship. I was reminded more than once during my CA visit that I could do a better job at that. :) It amazes me how much I don't know about my own family. My trip on the west coast was full of wonderful conversations (and of course some great laughs and fabulous food.)

Finally arriving back in Jacksonville late Friday night, the next morning was time to head back to Valdosta to pack up the trailer and then hit the road to Big Sky Country. I'm so glad my dad offered (okay, said yes when I asked) to fly out and then ride back with me - pulling a trailer is way more complicated than I anticipated and my Subaru was not quite as up for it as I thought she'd be. So fast forwarding through saying goodbye to mom (very hard), loading a trailer with way to much stuff, saying goodbye to my sister and her family (very hard)and traveling across the Country, (stopping in Chattanooga, Kansas City, and Denver) we arrived at my new home Tuesday, March 2nd at 6:30pm (about 3 days and 4 hours later), following only 3 near misses with gas.

Shelby enjoying the backseat during the long drive - 3 days for a dog must be like three weeks!


Just one of the many beautiful views on the drive.