So, summer is now in high gear with the big 4th of July weekend upon us.
Kalispell: Start of Thursday Fest - downtown street shut down for music, food and gallery openings
Farmer's market in the mall parking lot each Saturday morning - great to start with a panini breakfast at Bonelli's on First Ave East, sometimes we take our bikes and hit the bike trail afterwards
Wednesday concerts at Depot Park noon hour and Tuesday nights
Whitefish: Art Festival at Depot Park all weekend, always a great time with some awesome art
Gallery Nights first Thursday night of the month
Farmer's Market every Tuesday night with live music
Alpine Theater Broadway in Whitefish, 3 plays this summer
Disney Christmas train arrives on the 10th for tours as it crosses the country promoting Christmas film
Whitefish Mountain Resort opens Alpine Slides, Walk thru the Treetops, and zip line tours
Never a dull moment in the Flathead for summer! Just hard to fit it all in!
Augusta Montana rodeo June 26, 2009 on the eastside of the Rockies - REAL Montana!
Big News: 2 grocery store openings in 1 week! If you don't live in our valley, this is indeed big news. Safeway in Whitefish has been closed since last September to do a huge remodel and expansion. I visited the store yesterday. The highlight for me was the fresh fish section. Starbucks is inside along with a cafe. Missing: natural foods section. Super One is opening up downtown Kalispell this week. This is within walking distance to my office so very handy. I can count on this store for great produce and a big natural foods section.
Glacier National Park and the Going to the Sun road update: Plows worked through the Big Drift. This is the yearly landmark that means the road should open soon all the way through. Because of construction on the road however, it will be opening later than the date the road is plowed clear.
We have had a lot of rain the last few days which was very much appreciated. My hay crop was not doing too well without the rain. Now some sun and we should get a great crop after all.
We visited the Museum of America in Polson at the south end of the lake on Father's Day. There are 35 buildings on the site with everything imaginable. A collector gone mad!
Yes, it is a Sunday, but it was also a work day with an open house and checking out 2 renters in our townhomes. A sunny, hot day until the thunder storms rolled in this afternoon. We need rain on our hay fields. They are behind schedule so for once will not be doing hay over the 4th of July.
Sailboat is in Flathead Lake. A yearly affair putting it in when the lake is at full pool in June and taking it out for the winter in early October. No easy feet with a 30' boat! A big truck picks it up and launches it. The great engine starts every year.
Interest rates are raising but still time to buy. Had a buyer lock in at 5.5% this last week. Still great rates.
Garden is blooming away with all the sun and warmth this week.
Big Drift report: plows reached the Big Drift on Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park. Always a sign that the full highway will be open soon.
Kalispell has hired a new city manager, we will watch and see how this Indiana man works out.
Whitefish Farmer's Market: a not to be missed Tuesday night event in the summer! Live jazz, good food, vendors of everything to make the evening fun. A great atmosphere to shop in and just enjoy a warm summer eveing. Afterwards, we had dinner at Latitude 48 - wonderful.
2 not to be missed local products at the market: Flathead Valley grown hydroponic tomatoes and butterhead lettuce; The Back Home Bakery "just like France" bread products and the most awesome croissants this side of the Atlantic! The bakery is tucked away west of Kalispell in the hills of West Valley. An incredible one man bakery which supplies local shops and restaurants. Check out the web site: thebackhomebakery.com .
It was a lovely Memorial Day weekend in the Flathead. Sun, 75+ degrees. Many people headed to Glacier National Park - the road is not open all the way through the park yet, but still can bike in further than drive and enjoy seeing the spring time progress of the snow melt.
More and more buyers are starting to jump into this buyer's market. Still a great opportunity to grab a good deal in this wonderful valley.
City of Whitefish is debating where to put public parking lots. Alpine Theater Project has their summer season tickets on sale - we always subscribe. Broadway caliber in the valley.
After a weekend long horse clinic as an observer, I decided the weather was just too nice today so I "worked from home" today - didn't get here until after 10am from a double workout, but never the less, got to be in the sun gardening, riding horses, checking bees, swimming and just being in the awesome sun. Don't worry, with the phone and internet got the work that needed to be done taken care of. But you know, life and summer are to short to not seize the moment and live life. It isn't all about work after all!
City councils are meeting tonight. Whitefish is batting around ideas for downtown parking. By the way, Safeway is finally set to open in Whitefish after a yearlong remodel. City council news comes out in the Daily Interlake on Thursdays, so will know what Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish come up with at that time.
Don't wait, it is time to make reservations for any lodging in Glacier National Park. The season is short, accommodations limited, and every year people miss out by trying to be last minute.
Long weekend coming up, planning some horse riding and bike riding on some of the new, extended bike trails.
An exciting horsey weekend starting on Friday in the Flathead Valley! Clinton Anderson is doing a horse clinic here for 3 days. I have tickets for all three days. I have utilized his videos and techniques for years so am very excited to watch him in person. Individuals will have their horses at $2000 a piece so we will watch them learn and progress through the 3 days. He is coming from Texas so this is very cool in our little valley.
I showed clients homes on small acreage for 2 days last week so have been exposed to a lot of properties in the $300k to $600k range on 5-10 acres. Some decent choices out there.
Been doning the bee suit and checking on the hives in our garden area. Feels like a steep learning curve, but pretty facinating all the same.
Dirt work is happening on Super WalMart near Target, etc. Will be nice to have a grocery store at this end of town.
Should be a good hay crop this year with all the snow we had and the rain is still off and on this spring.
Glacier National Park plowing is proceeding after a big dump of snow last week slowed progress in getting the Going to the Sun highway open. It is always fun to see r.v.s driving through Kalispell on the way to the park in May when the road is not open all the way through until sometime in June depending on the weather.
Whitefish Mountain Resort (Big Mountain to me) is selling next year season passes. The great news is that the price did not go up. Thos of us with season passes from this last winter are able to ride up the mountain for free this summer to take advantage of the zip lines, walk thru the tress and other summer activities.
A new hobby on our ranch: honey bees. We have installed the bees in 2 new hives in our back garden. Already having fun watching these busy bees carrying in pollen and working on establishing their new homes. Will get suited up this weekend to take an in depth peek into the hives to see what is going on and if all is well. Fortunately we have friends who are giving us lots of advice. There is a steep learning curve but what facinating creatures!!
Tax day has come and gone and spring is here! Temps in the 70's lately and NICE. Seems like everyone has come out of hibernation. Traffic is thickening edging towards summer.
The new Super One grocery store in Kalispell is making encouraging progress in the remodel. Looking forward to having a large supermarket near my office again. With construction very slow, it gives a glimmer of hope. Waiting for the Super Walmart to start construction in the Costco area.
CASA, court appointed special advocate for children, is an organization I volunteer for. Currently I am on a break between cases, but a compelling article in the Daily Interlake for the great need for more CASAs to help with the caseload is prompting me to get back in the game. We CASAs are the sole voice for the child or children who are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. It is an extremely stressful and emotional volunteer job and takes many hours to do court reports, interview family, social workers, counselors, teachers and spend time getting to know the child. All our work helps the judge decide what is best for the child. My last case made me just want to take this 10 year old boy home and raise him with boundaries and love, but of course that isn't possible. The state always tries to reunify the child with their parents or at least a family member. I definitely learned about the "other side of the tracks" in our wonderful valley. Drugs and alcohol are often the cause of family problems as is abuse. If you want to make a difference, look into volunteering for this wonderful organization.
Happy Easter everyone! After attending church in Whitefish with friends, went to brunch at the Grouse Mountain Lodge, awesome! Surprised to see snow on the golf course still that the lodge sits on.
Weekend ranch happenings: horse riding, greenhouse growing, bee hives put together and painted, inventory of fences that need replacing (ugh!), hoses and patio furniture back out for the summer. Wonderful weather to get chores done. A funny think happend with my youngest Golden this week. Maggie has become used to walking on the swimming pool ice all winter. Well, this week she went swimming instead with two paws cling to a floating piece of ice. I had to coach her to the step so she could get out, all the while saying that I wasn't coming in to get her!
There are buyers out there! Many showings on my listings the last few days, all price ranges. Feel much more optimistic this spring than last. I have listings from townhomes, to houses on small acreage, to a house on an airstrip with a hangar, horse properties, just about anything in every price range. Getting many internet inquires from buyers or buyer prospects. Could be a busy year!
Chinese Proverb: "those who say it can't be done should not interupt those doing it"
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