Becky's Back in the Bitterroot

Polar bear and coffee

I am sipping coffee on a Delta Skywest regional jet and sitting next to a young hipster dressed all in black, his dark hair messily swept back and up, his vintage black, square eyeglass frames making him look even more grungy and adorable. He's slept the whole way, mouth open, oblivious to mountains peeking through clouds below. If I were a mean person, I would snap his picture against the window's glorious Bitterroot Valley. But, I'm not. I finish my coffee and only then notice a polar bear on my napkin. An omen of colder things to come in my new Montana home?

Not yet, maybe not at all. I step outside the airport door to a balmy 36 degrees and part sun. Alex appears  from a nearby parking lot and I realize how long it's been since we've seen each other -- two full months! We hug and kiss. It's so sweet to see him all Montana-ed up in his leather gloves, jeans, boots, puffy jacket and favorite cap from Fords Department Store in Hamilton.

Freshly grilled Pacific salmon on salad.

When we go grab some lunch in Missoula, I realize that I've had a breakfast of Starbucks coffee at Lambert-St. Louis airport just before 8 a.m. (and a Delta flight to Salt Lake City), and here I am in Montana at 1 p.m. (Mountain Time) some 1,800 flight miles away, eating freshly grilled Pacific salmon and taking in the local Missoula scene. Amazing!

Moisture off of the Bitterroot River gives a smokey look to the valley.

We drive the 40 or so miles south toward home and through glorious scenery, with moisture adding some atmospheric "haze" to the valley. Only a dusting of snow covers the valley floor; even the miles of cycling path to one side of U.S. Highway 93 are clear of ice and snow.  Record temps on this day for the nearby town of Victor are a high of  56 °F (recorded in 1924) and a low of -12 °F (1972), just fyi.

Roses await at home!

Alex has two dozen red roses waiting for me and when we're home in Hamilton, I put them in a stainless steel thermos in lieu of a vase. They sit amid the detritus of construction tools, rags, mops and other cleaning stuff.

We put off some deep cleaning and build a fire. We sit by it to open two boxes and several Christmas cards that have come in the mail. I take a dark little picture with my iPhone...

Fireplace, evening of Dec. 14.

...and it includes not one but two bear-themed candlestick holders found in St. Louis by my friend John Mareing and shipped to us here. We love them, especially considering our recent bear sightings! Cards are from family and friends. And, ahem, the mule deer antlers are a little joke from Victor friends Marie Anne and Kim. I squealed with a mixture of delight, horror and surprise when I saw them. They'll look great in Alex's new study, I'm thinking! By the way, the fireplace brick, grill and wall above all will get a unifying coat of paint, and a new hearth is coming soon. I'll send pictures then. For now...

...I sign off with a shot of me in the relatively clean master bathroom, preparing to go out and help Alex vacuum, dust and inspect all aspects of the house renovation. More about that soon!! Maybe we'll even get ourselves a sofa for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza!