The day began slowly, with more haze and smoke in the atmosphere. That’s certainly what slowed us down. We ate breakfast late and didn’t make it down to the coffee cart until they had closed for the day!

So, we read, did the wash, and started packing up our belongings before we decided on an afternoon ride over to Whitefish Lake. It turned out to be a most welcome journey. There are not superlatives enough to describe the beauty of this spot! I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. There were only about ten people on the beach on this 80 degree day in September. Someone had strung two hammocks between the trees and I had to capture the iconic shot. What’s a day at the lake for if you can’t spend it in a hammock reading a good book?

As the afternoon progressed, the smoky haze lessened and we saw some more of the panoramic Montana countryside. Mountains providing a backdrop for fields of hay; horses enjoying the sunshine; and deer out walking at the same time I was!We came back to make our chicken salad for dinner and then walked down to the Pro Shop where we had made arrangements to rent a golf cart for the evening. Neither one of us having ever golfed, we had never even ridden in one. This golf course is so beautiful and so expansive – and because of the fires, so sparsely used, I had asked if we could just get a golf cart and drive around the course for the pleasure of it. The manager told us to come back at 7:00 and we could have a cart until dark.

We felt like two little kids at the carnival. It was so much fun just driving through the trees, along the greens, and in and among the meadows with deer casually munching their dinner. We got lost several times, not really knowing how to read golf maps, but eventually found our way back to the Pro Shop just after sunset. If anyone thought we were crazy, they never let on. The two guys at the Pro Shop were gracious and helpful in every way. We only wish we had asked for a few directions!

As we returned to our place, the pink sky over the mountains was fading fast. This being our last day, we admired it before going in. We want to remember this beauty and this time forever.