Attention!!! New cake purchasing policy!!!

*stolen off Reddit*

Every cake begins with "I'm gay and I would like to order a wedding cake". Wait for the response and, if they're accommodating, you can say "Actually I need a birthday cake for my son...I just wanted to make sure you weren't a POS."

Has anybody here been to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?

My kiddo, Owen, graduated from high school last weekend. He and his 4 best pals left yesterday morning for the Boundary Waters Wilderness of MN. He will be gone for 10 days or so. I am missing him terribly, but, at the same time I am so excited for him. This is a rock solid group of boys…all raised in the outdoors. I don’t at all worry about their skill sets…they’ve all lived their lives hunting and fishing here in MT. They are not likely to run into a grizzly bear like they might here at home. I’ve talked to a lot of folks who have done this off grid adventure and they say it’s just fabulous.

Owen is my only child. I don’t mind telling you that he’s just a wonderful kid. Smart. Funny and he gave a tRumper hell today in Ely, MN. That’s my baby!

Have any of you been to the Boundary Waters? It sounds like an amazing place.

Smoke is pouring into Montana from the wildfires in Edmonton, Alberta.

My city of Missoula is surrounded by mountains on every side and I can't see any of them at the moment. Air quality is B A D. Fires of this magnitude in May for pete's sake!!

My kiddo took his first solo flight today!

It’s been a big week at our house. Owen turned 18 this week, took his first solo flight in a tiny Cessna 152 this morning and tonight he’s off to the prom with a posse of friends. I didn’t expect to be emotional today but when Owen landed and his instructor hopped out of the plane and the child took off on his own, I just sobbed. He did great. No complications and it was a stunning Montana day. O will continue to take lessons throughout the summer until he has enough flight hours to get his pilot’s certificate. He hopes to have that completed before he starts college this fall.

I don’t know where the last 18 years went…it feels like life is going a million miles an hour. Everyone tells me that I’ll be ready when Owen leaves the nest…that kids make it easier on their parents by being difficult but I have to tell you that this will be so hard. I like Owen so much, I mean, I love him of course…but I just LIKE him. He’s so smart, responsible and kind. He thinks about things before acting and he’s measured and thoughtful when he decides to do or say something….unless someone is being an asshole then he most definitely will call it out. He’s got a wicked sense of humor and makes me laugh every single day. He doesn’t put up with drama from anyone. He’s a talented pianist and guitarist and a really good student. I never have to remind him to do his homework…ever. Being his mom has been the most important thing I’ve ever done.

Thanks for reading.

Barbershop in Missoula, Montana offers gender affirming haircuts...for free.

Gianforte's (MT thug governor) son one of many lobbying governor against trans bills

David Gianforte has told his father the bills will harm the LGBTQ+ community he’s a part of...

https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/gianfortes-son-one-of-many-lobbying-governor-against-trans-bills

On a side note - I have mentioned this on a couple related threads that my 17 year old son, Owen, was in the house chamber when the anti trans legislation was being proposed. Owen said that Zooey Zephyr's statement was measured in tone...she never raised her voice. In response, rethugs yelled at her, misgendered her and were terribly disrespectful. Kids came home from that field trip shell shocked.

David Gianforte's father, our thug governor, sent the bill back to rethuglicans and asked them to "make the bill stronger" because with him and the rest of republicans, cruelty is the point. It is not a bug it is a feature and this is proof of it. Gov Gianforte asked for stronger anti-trans legislation knowing it would hurt his own child. THIS is who these people are.

Iris is BACK!!!

Locally beloved Iris the Osprey has returned to her nest at the mouth of Hellgate Canyon. Experts believe Iris to be over 25 years old. I can tell you that spring must finally be coming to Missoula if Iris has made her way home. Lots of us have been patiently waiting for her. Her return takes place just one day after her most common return date, April 7. She's spent the past few days sprucing up her nest and battling some annoying starlings.

Hellgate Osprey live-cam:

I'm experimenting with a homemade/brined corned beef this year. ☘️

Back story… for many many years there has been a meat manager at a locally owned grocery store who would corn 400-500 pounds of beef per year, using his Irish born grandmother‘s recipe. People stand in line for his corn beef. It’s just that good. I would buy three of his roasts every year…One for St. Patrick’s Day, one for September to welcome the first frost and one for December just because.

Fast forward… The meat manager retired in 2022 and word was out that there would be no more Butte America corn beef! The end of an era for sure. I decided to try my hand at corning/brining my own this year. I bought grass fed beef roast from a friend who has a local cattle ranch and corned a second one…and elk roast from the elk my husband got last fall. I used a recipe that included allspice berries, juniper berries, cloves, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and whole red chiles.

Turns out that the meat manager came out of retirement to make his corned beef again because the demand was so high. I found out too late and had already bought the ingredients to make my own. Oh well.

Here’s a pic of the roast going into the instant pot…it’s nestled in Cold Smoke Scotch ale. My hopes are high!

My 17 year old kiddo began flight lessons today.

Owen and his instructor flew a Cessna 152 on a freezing cold blue bird Montana day. He had a blast. He wouldn’t let me take his photo but I snuck one as he was getting into the aircraft. They flew over the snow filled Bitterroot Mountains. I watched with binoculars until they flew out of sight. He’s made all the arrangements for his lessons. He’s taking them from a local aviation company that used to let me walk the child around the hangar when he was a toddler to look at planes and helicopters when we had cabin fever in the winter. I’m just thrilled for him.

Peep update! Wonky photos...🤦‍♀️

Trying to spend a few minutes each day snuggling the chicks….telling them what good girls they are and using their names so they learn them. Nugget and Polly were especially cuddly this afternoon. This is my process with chickens…it’s not for everybody. My mother in law thinks I’m nuts…she might be right. Even if she’s right, I’ll don’t regret doing it.