Looks like a hibiscus flower

Father Jack: Thanks for the reply. Hopefully we will get to LJ in the not to distant future. Don and Mary Hurley

Father: Thanks for your reply. We are well acquainted with the Jesuits. The Salish-Kootenai tribe made several trips to St. Louis Missouri to beg the Jesuits to come to western Montana so they could learn about our faith. Father Ravalli came from Italy and Father DeSmet came from St. Louis in 1841. Stevensville MT became the first white settlement and the birthplace of the state of Montana. Father Ravalli was a "jack of all trades". St. Mary's Mission Historic Site (http://www.saintmarysmission.org) has Father Ravalli's Cabin with his hand made furniture. He was also a painter and a pharmacist. He had a pharmacy in the back of his cabin from which he dispensed medication to the Indians. Check their website for the history and more information. We also have Jesuit parish (St. Francis) in Missoula. Hopefully some day soon we will make a trip to Slovenia and try and find our cousins. As for the poticia..... My maternal grandmother was an immigrant to Minnesota. My mother had a love affair with poticia. It was our staple for any and all occasions. When my brother and I left home, we could always expect a poticia in the mail for birthdays and Christmas and Easter. I have only made it once but have her original recipe.
Thanks for getting to meet you. Mary Hurley (me@dandme.com).

frjack:
I am interested in a trip to Slovenia. Have relatives that have a guest house in or near Cerkje. Did you use a tour guide or a travel guide for your trip?

We live just south of Missoula. Be sure and check on line for closures in Glacier. The Going to the Sun Road just opened and sometimes (depending on weather) will be closed in September. When in Yellowstone area, be sure and go to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. They are doing a great job with Grizzles, Wolfs, Riparian. All are rescues and the educational program is top notch. Excellent photo ops. Might also check weather in Banff to be sure roads are open.

Forgot to mention that there is no Sales Tax in Montana.

Fly into Billings and drive to Red Lodge and take the Beartooth Highway into the park. We were in the park at the end of May and stayed in a cabin at Old Faithful Snow lodge - it did snow that morning. Crowds were unbelievable - took us 1/2 hour to get into the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot. Ate at a grill because there was an hour wait at the main restaurants. Had the same problem at Canyon - went to the grocery store and bought lunch and ate in the car - it was snowing/raining so eating outside was not an option. May and Sept have limited lodging and places open. Book WAY ahead of time. Old Faithful is a convenient location - option to take the norh loop one day and the south loop another.

Mahalo back to you! Our favorite other spot is Kauai where we will be at the end of Sept for 2 weeks. The islands have their own beauty.

Thanks, it was a gorgeous day. A great gift!

F-stop f/9, 1/250 sec, ISO-100, 18mm on Tamron 18-250 lens, Pattern mode, auto WB

Last Tuesday we took a day off and spent it in Glacier NP. It turned out to be AAA perfect day - Pure blue sky (prior to Alberta smoke arriving) and no wind. Have been to the park several times but never had a day like this. This was the first time I was using a newly purchased used Canon EOS 7D and had not a clue how to use all the buttons. When we arrived at Lake McDonald, it was perfectly calm and the entire shore line had the perfect opportunity for some mirror image photos. Enjoy.

Lake McDonald

Good to hear. Looking for nice weather next week. Heading up to deliver our "Red Bus" to several stores and then take a day to hang out at the park. Need some R&R after a busy spring. Great shots and lovely view as always.

Just had my first metallic print done at Adorama. What a great job which also included all of the hanging hardware needed. I was very impressed.

Last year we went to AK with friends who live there. They were our "tour guides" and we told them to pick things they had not seen before. The pick was Wrangell-St. Elias NP. Drove from Wasilla to Chitna, took a 1/2 hour flight to Kennicott for 2 days. Can hike to the glacier. Took a tour o
the mining town, took a 1 hour flight over the park. Was a wow ! and did not see anything that resembled something in the lower 48. Stayed at the lodge at Kennicott and enjoyed dining imensily - they have a world class chef. We were there in the spring - took advantage of "shoulder season" rated so got a really good deal. There is also a fall shoulder season. Check it out. The whole stay had unlimited photo ops. Used an 18-250 lens and it served me well.

We took our first trip to AK (land/sea cruise). Be sure and pick the correct seating on the airplane. Right side from Seattle to Anchorage, Left side Anchorage to Fairbanks. It was a blue sky day from Anchorage to Fairbanks and we had a great photo ops - peak of fall color and Denali in all its spender. Also did the Discovery tour - highly recommended. Jeff King's kennel was exceptional - every one gets to hold a puppy.