Antrim Point

How I have been enjoying our unseasonably dry and warm February and March days. Our weather forecaster stated recently that this is the second dryest & warmest winter on record for Missoula, MT. and the surrounding area. During the 50 and 60 degree temperatures, I have pruned trees, weeded the herb bed, helped remove pieces of tin from a large pine tree in front of our home and resealed the tree with pruning sealer. My husband even cleaned out our chicken house. Best of all, we have loved the starlit nights and the hikes on Sunday afternoons. The last two Sunday afternoons, I ambled south on Meadowlark Lane until it ended. Then I cut across another neighbor's property a few feet to be able to cross over onto the acreage owned by Priscilla Antrim. Priscilla bought 4 Coriadell sheep from us about ten years ago and gave us permission at that time to hike whenever we wanted on her property, which had been placed into a conservation easement years earlier. This property is called "Antrim Point", as it is the highest ridge around our area. It once boasted a Forest Service fire siting tower located at the level summit. The summit has a wonderful 360 degree view of the Bitterroot Mountain range, the Sapphire Mountain Range, parts of the Eastside Highway and homes along it, as well as the Bitterroot River. In June, Antrim Point wears Bitterroot flowers, from which our valley is named. Only the evergreens were green on these past two hikes. I could not even find the early Buttercups that we have seen down in the lower meadows. What I did find saddened me. As I left the conservancy, I noticed several signs announcing proposed subdivisions that would border Antrim Point. Our rural area is slowly but surely being built into a suburbia. I still plan to hike Antrim Point at least early in the morning on summer days. I'll hike down aways from the summit to sit on an old pine that my husband and I have dubbed "Lover's bench". The pine grows up from the ground about a foot, then turns parallel to the ground for about two feet and then turns vertical again for the rest of its height, which is quite tall. There is a nice view of the Bitterroot River and mountains from this natural seat. I like to sit and commune with the Creator of all this beauty at this spot. Hopefully the sprawling encroachment of homes will not change my private meeting spot. I'm starting to engraft more of "the Word" - James and some of the Psalms - into my life and hope to spend time meditating on the words I've memorized while sitting on the lover's bench and gazing at the Bitterroot beauty.