Because I Can In Montana

*Note:  This article was written March 25, 2009.  The Geese return every year, so I wanted to re-post this article.  Seeing this annual rest stop is an amazing experience.

As Winter ends and Spring begins, hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese flock to Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area located off Hwy 89 between Fairfield and Choteau, Montana.  It is about 40 miles northwest of Great Falls.  Early Spring of each year,  Snow Geese from the Gulf Coast States gather there.  This is an annual rest-stop for the ambitious birds on their flight north to Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada.

The Vernal Equinox, March 20th, officially marks the first day of Spring.  With our work week completed, Bill and I thought that we would celebrate the start of Spring with a close-to-home road-trip.  We had our grandson Nate with us, who is almost 14 months old.  Nate continuously chatters in “toddler talk”and is a great little traveler.

This year, Spring awoke by shaking off some of Winter’s chill. It was about 55° as we left Great  Falls around 6:00PM headed for Freezeout Lake.  We started to see sporadic flocks of Snow  Geese overhead as we neared Fairfield.   Read More

Comments (0) Mar 09 2012

Sunday morning, May 17, 2009, I awoke early preparing to accompany my husband Bill at Wadsworth Park in Great Falls, Montana for one of the two 3-D shoots open to the public by The Electric City Archer’s Club.  Bill is a member of the club and had to arrive early to assist in the set up. Appreciating the little bit of time before the Archers would arrive, I enjoyed a quiet walk through my peaceful wooded surroundings. I pleasantly listened to Nature’s  ”early morning symphony” in surround sound at its finest!  Perhaps the melodic performers were expressing their joy knowing that they wouldn’t be the Archer’s targets and were safe in their wooded homes.  I was on the lookout for the great horned owls that Bill had seen and photographed the day before. They are a protected bird, and I consider it for an honor for those who get the privilege to see them up close. They had several solos in the symphony, but remained visually elusive to me, as I remained on the outskirts of the woods.

About 7:45 AM vehicles started rolling in as the sign-ups for the    3-D Shoot began.  The first group started the course a little after 8:00AM.

This event is a regular family tradition for many.  The archers ranged from 4 to 78 years young.  Prices to participate for the day were very reasonable.  A family could sign up for $25, Adults (age 17+) $12, Youth (age 12-16) $8, and “Cubs & Chicks” (age 11 and under) participated at no cost. Read More

Comments (0) May 25 2009

As the weather gets nicer, more of us enjoy heading outdoors. Great Falls Montana has so many beautiful parks to visit. Giant Springs State Park is one of my favorite spots. It was first recorded by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Flowing at a measured 156 million gallons of water per day, it is one of the largest Freshwater springs in the world! Open for day use year round, the park is 675 acres of beauty.

You can visit the fish hatchery located at the park. The hatchery’s water supply comes from Giant Springs. Even though Giant Springs is one of the largest springs in the country, it is the headwaters of the Roe River, which is one of the world’s shortest rivers at only 201′ in length. It is there that the Roe River joins the Missouri River.

The hatchery has 24 outside raceways and one round show pond filled with trout. The fish vary in size and color, and seem to enjoy their home by swimming and playfully jumping in the water.

In addition to the fish hatchery, Giant Springs State Park is a wonderful place to Read More

Comments (0) Apr 06 2009