Photo Friday

I missed last week due to being in Missoula, and just plain didn't want to take the time to upload the pictures while I was spending time with my friends. Speaking of which, we had a blast! After appetizers at Finn & Porter on Friday evening, we went out to Al's & Vicks where we played pool with complete strangers. On Saturday we went to lunch at Bridge Pizza, and then I went on to meet a friend's newborn son. After a couple of beers at Kettlehouse, it was all about relaxing and watching a movie. Sunday was a great day for a bunch of us girls to get together with Amy before she moves to Thailand in February. We went snowshoeing/cross country skiing, then went to Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, and then on to the Lumber Jack. All in all, it was a busy, memorable day.

Bridge Pizza

Above 2 photographs are from along the Lolo Pass snowshoeing trail.

Sequence of Kimber falling (gracefully) while snowshoeing.

All of us soaking at Jerry Johnson.

Sarah and Kristen helping me out with the weekly photo challenge: Panning Camera Blur.

Women Who Wine

I'm a bit behind this week, due to a busy schedule and traveling to Missoula, which is where I am currently. On Thursday evening, I attended my first Women Who Wine party. WWW is a non-profit that generates funds for other non-profit organizations in the area (Bozeman). So basically it is a bunch of great women drinking wine, getting to know one another, with a guest from that month's organization. I'll have to be invited to go at least two more times, and then be invited to become a regular "winer". Sounds like a good thing to be :)

For circle (where we all get to know one another) we were to introduce ourselves and where we worked, as well as an epiphany we'd had in the last couple of month, and let the other know what we needed. Well, I work for North American Gemological Laboratory in Bozeman, MT, my epiphanies were that after six years of moving and never really being settled, I am now, at 31 years of age, ready to set some roots and watch them grow. And...I am finally starting my own business, as discussed in an earlier post. What I need was a therapist...for my dog Twist, as well as a playmate for him, and a snowshoeing buddy for myself.

What a great night...

Photo Friday

Photo opportunities were few and far between this week due to a busy schedule and not feeling well. Hopefully I will be able to get out tonight and take some photos after dark.

This week's pictures were taken with my new "pocket" camera, a little point and shoot that I bought for skiing and other adventures where taking my Nikon D90 is just not practical. So far it is working out quite well, but it is surprising how much more frustrating it is to use than my "big" camera. I'm used to pushing a button and having a quick shutter action. I'm sure I will adjust quickly enough.

Lori and I on the ski lift at Moonlight Basin.

Aspen

Another fire is lit

I'm ashamed to say that I have not worked on my GIA class since, gasp, late August. Oh my, how the time has slipped away. However, with the new year already well under way, I have a new sense of motivation. Now that I am working for a gem lab in Bozeman, it sure would be nice if I could grade diamonds and gemstones, don't ya think? While we are busy, by boss is able to do all of the grading and identification, for now. As we get busier, we will both need to do it, so that means that I need to get on the ball and finish up my diamond course so that I can start the Colored Gemstones portion of the certification.

Last year, I noticed that my dedication to the classwork started to wane in the summer months, mostly because I am an active person who likes the outdoors. Naturally, I thought that I would get back into the class and be more focused once the days grew darker and the weather more frigid. That is where I am right now. I have decided that I just need to do it and get it over with, otherwise I never will. After all, what I really want to get to is the colored stone course and can't do both at the same time.

So as I hunker down with my diamonds again, I vow to be finished by, lets say, the end of February. That means a lot of reading, reviewing, and studying are coming my way. That's okay, I've got a fireplace I can work in front of.

Photo Friday

Oops! I really was planning on posting yesterday, but after skiing all day on only four hours of sleep, I was out like a light pretty early...for me.

I rang the New Year in with Mike and his brother (my colleague) and his wife and kids, as well as a couple of other friends. We played Black Jack and Indian Poker, but since none of us had any coins, we played with dry pasta...it is true what they say in Vegas; the house always wins!

On New Year's Day we went for a drive towards Ennis, Montana, where the scenery photographs are from. It was nice to see that part of the state for the first time.

Happy New Year!

Spanish Peaks

Susann, Tom, Makenna, and Logan

Sunset