Happy 1 Year Anniversary Arborfiles!

A year ago I started this blog - how the time flies! In that time, we've traveled from Wisconsin to Michigan to Connecticut to Missouri to South Carolina to Pennsylvania to Colorado to Idaho and now to Montana.

And to celebrate, the long overdue collection of photos from the last month.

Week 9-3--9-11 - Clayton, ID and Butte, MT:

Smoke from the Salt fire on the Salmon-Challis NF obscures the nearby mountain ranges

Moose paddle shed I found in the woods

Week 9-10--16-11 - Butte, MT:

Smoke fills the air for weeks during fire season

Characteristic vibrant purple heartwood of a juniper tree

From fire season to Fall in an instant - smoke one day, frost the next.

Week 9-17--23-11 - Butte, MT:

Metallic wood-boring beetle

Car wash

Hoop house built by Camille Green & Co at NCAT in Butte

Week 9-24--30-11 - Glacier National Park and Butte, MT:

No Name Lake in Glacier near Two Medicine

Old Man Lake (where we camped alongside after a 13.5 mi hike), as seen from the Continental Divide Dawson Pass (about 6 mi away).

First week of Fall, and the aspens begin to turn.

Weeks 8-20--26-11 and 8-27--9-2-11 - Washington Island, WI; Butte and Missoula, MT

Week 8-20 thru 8-26-11 - Washington Island, WI; and back to Butte, MT:

School House Beach at Washington Harbor

A highly recommended (courtesy of Marianne and Phil Pitner!) twist on caprese salad - sub the tomatoes for peaches... brilliant. I may even wager better than the original.

Abandoned Christmas tree field on the Island

Cows graze at sunrise in the smokey inversion created by wildfires nearby

Week 8-27 thru 9-2-11 - Missoula and Butte, MT:

Smoke from a 14,000 acre wildfire billows over the highway by Missoula

The infamous Douglas-fir beetles within their truly beautiful galleries beneath the bark. The galleries are so extensive that they completely wrap and girdle their host trees, shutting down the flow of water and nutrients, killing them in a season.

Wild raspberries abound.

Weeks 7-30--8-5, 8-6--12, and 8-13--19-11 - Clayton, ID, Wise River, MT, and Glacier National Park, MT

Week of 7-30--8-5-11 - Clayton, ID, work sites in MT, and Glacier National Park:

Dagger Falls in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness of ID, a hotspot to watch salmon during the run

Oven found in an old cabin nestled and forgotten in the woods of one of our work sites

Fresh elk skull found on a work site, complete with hairpiece, ivories, and 8-point rack

Hike to Gunsight Lake/Pass in Glacier National Park

Double rainbow following a violent thunderstorm - truly the most vivid rainbow I've ever seen (this photo was actually taken a little after its peak!)

An old fire scar, now filled with new growth

Week of 8-6--9-11 - More from Glacier National Park in NW MT:

Some of Glacier National Park's remaining glaciers melt off into this lake through dozens of waterfalls

Week 8-13--19-11 - Clayton, ID, various work sites in Wise River, MT

The core of a 535 year old Douglas-fir... at only 20" DBH

Inside the femur of a cow, found amongst the rest of its cleaned skeleton in the woods (a common encounter)

In Chicago O'Hare Airport en route to the Island in WI

Weeks 7-16 thru 7-22 & 7-23 thru 7-29-11

Week 7-16 thru 7-22: Clayton ID, Holter Lake MT, and the Gallatin NF in MT:

I spy a bumble bee.

An osprey perched with the Sleeping Giant of Holter Lake in the background.

Week 7-23 thru 7-29-11: More from the Gallatin NF and Butte, MT:

A view of Butte, MT as seen from atop Big Butte (its namesake).

Cabbage in the community garden.