The pale clouds and plains of Montana

Posted on by

I left my heart in Montana.

“Curiosity endows the people who have it with a generosity in argument and a serenity in their own mode of life which springs from their cheerful willingness to let life take the form it will.” – Alistair Cooke

 “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

“Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity”. – Joseph Addison

“Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium”. – Paul Tsongas

“A life-long blessing for children is to fill them with warm memories of times together. Happy memories become treasures in the heart to pull out on the tough days of adulthood”. – Charlotte Davis Kasl

I will dearly miss this special time together as a family, creating memories that will last a lifetime…

But as any traveler knows, all good trips must come to an end.

This post was inspired by Ailsa of “Where’s My Backpack”, travel challenge: Pale. To see more entries, click here.

39 thoughts on “The pale clouds and plains of Montana”

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      You’re welcome! Where are you from?

      This was my second time in Montana (first was when I was 7 and only remember a little bit). I loved it. So incredibly beautiful and so undeveloped and pristine. I want to go back again! 🙂

      Reply ↓
      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Thanks! 🙂 I’ve never been to Philly before!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        I am sure I’ll be there someday! I love to travel and the US has so much to offer.

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much! 🙂

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! Yes it is gorgeous and I love it there. 🙂

      Reply ↓

  4. I love your previous post “A Spectrum of Color”—–almost an assault on the senses (I mean that in a good way!) that your eyes almost have trouble understanding. I like this post, too, but it is like the quieter sister, the one that doesn’t get as much press but nevertheless is somehow the favorite child. I love Montana, too. Thanks for your consistenly lovely work. You’ve inspired me to drag out some old photos (not great ones, believe me) of my earlier travels that have long been neglected. Cheers!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much for the wonderful comment and I’m so glad that you enjoy my posts! Yes that is true that the pale of Montana is like a quieter sister. I like that! 🙂 Where do you live?

      Reply ↓

      • South Central Texas, near San Antonio. It’s called the Texas Hill Country……harsh and beautiful at the same time. I always enjoy your photos, very inspiring to me, I am just starting out in photography. Thank you!

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Oh cool! I bet it is beautiful where you live. I have family near Bryan Texas and my grandparents used to live in Harlingen (they passed away) so I used to spend time there in my youth. I’m glad you like my photos! 🙂 I never really tried to take good pictures until I started blogging two years ago. I wish I’d paid more attention as I have so many trips I went on but so few good pics! 🙂

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! These pictures were taken the last day as weather was coming in. If you check out my earlier posts on Montana, you will see brilliant sunshine against perhaps the bluest sky I’d ever seen. It is really really beautiful! 🙂 It also wasn’t cold…..a bit too warm for skiing! 🙂

      Reply ↓

      • I’ve never gone skiing, but it looks like a great place to do so! I’m a little bit jealous of you, you always seem to travel so much!
        Where will you be going next?

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Glad you enjoyed! Some of these travels have been done over time. It all depends. I do feel blessed I get to travel so much but it has been a personal choice and I’m lucky to have a supportive family! 🙂

  6. WE both are attentive to skyscapes. Each of your images has a unique feeling that forces me to ponder. How fortunate that you were able to see these vistas. They’re all really engaging.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much! I shot most of these through the moving car window with my iPhone! 🙂 I can only imagine how much better the photos would have been if we had the time to stop and I had my good camera. It is that beautiful there! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  7. Rugged and beautiful! I haven’t yet made it there. The last five images–flat grasslands/fields against blue, snow-veined mountains–made my heart ache. That’s the view that feels most at home to me.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Where are you from originally? Somewhere with Mountains? Montana is exceptionally beautiful. So beautiful that I crave to go back and would love to someday in the summer.

      Reply ↓
  8. My Life Afterglow – I love mornings, chocolates and pastries with all my being. I could eat steak all day everyday. I adore the sand and the sea. I love to travel and meet great people, eat new food, be awed by the places I’ve never seen. Traveling gives me this feeling of vulnerability, openess and energy. I love planning travel itineraries. I laugh my lungs out. I think I'm a good cook. If I had the time, i'd study cooking, be a chef and put up my own restaurant. I love to read a lot of articles, to learn random things about the world we live in, to hear other peoples opinions, experiences and stories...
    My Life Afterglow on said:

    Lovely! 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! It is truly a beautiful, pristine place. Hard to find that these days!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      That is true! On the bright side, it just so happens I have another trip in nine days. This was planned a year ago, way before Montana. My mom, sister and I are heading to Paris and Provence, two places I lived in way back in 1993 and 1994. I’ve been back several times since then but usually only for a few days. I can hardly wait to go absolutely crazy with my camera!!!!

      Reply ↓

      • Can’t wait to hear all about it. We are heading back to Paris later this spring. I’m pretty excited myself.

      • Jo Bryant – New Zealand – I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.
        Jo Bryant on said:

        All this talk of Paris and cameras…making me terribly jealous.

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Oh Jo! 🙂 I’m going on a special trip with my mom and sister this Wednesday. My dad is coming to babysit the kids with my husband. I am very much looking forward to it!

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      🙂 Thanks!

      Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Yes it is. I love it there!

      Reply ↓
  13. adinparadise – I enjoy writing about anything and everything. It keeps me out of mischief. I love to travel and am fortunate enough to be able to do so quite frequently.
    adinparadise on said:

    Beautiful skies. NIcole. Great photos for the challenge. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  14. Reblogged this on allynature's Blog and commented:
    The beauty in these photo’s touched my heart in such a great way that I became ecstatic at the greatness of God all over again.. It reminds me of the first book in the Bible.. Genesis.. How God just spoke and began to create the earth. What a powerful God to share and gift us such a beauty, and named it earth just so we could live, move, eat and breath here. We walk amongst the miraculous things of God daily and we fail to appreciate how blessed we are with simple things.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks so much for the reblog and all the kind words! 🙂

      Reply ↓

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.