The Most Beautiful Week Of The Year

Colleen and I spent July in Polson, MT. Polson sits at the southern end of Flathead Lake which is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the lower 48 states. It boasts over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline. You do not grasp the size of the lake until you drive around it. The beauty of the lake and the Mission Mountains that border Polson are the first observations that we noticed. There is no questioning the natural beauty of the area, but the people of Polson is what makes this place truly special. Polson is as close to Andy Griffith’s Mayberry as we have experienced on our travels. There were several experiences we had with locals that made us feel at home. We were blessed to have 2 of my sisters, Nina and Karren visit us for a week while we were here. One day I was out with a drive with my sisters and we noticed from the road a woman’s house that overlooked the Flathead River. She had the largest and most beautiful hanging flower baskets we have ever seen. She invited us into her backyard to show them to us up close. She told us the history of her family owning the property for the last 120 years. I also met a woman who stopped her car specifically to give our dogs treats as we were on a walk. Another kind woman who lived just outside the park offered me mint from her garden and gave me tips on using it in tea. She became our mint supplier while we were in town. Even the gentleman at Walmart in charge of people masking up before they walked into the store was as jolly as Santa Clause.

As enjoyable and welcome the locals made us feel, it was the visit with my sisters that we really cherished. After they arrived we discussed the possibility of running to Glacier National Park which is about a 90 minute drive from Polson. We decided we would rather just enjoy each other’s company for the week. And so that is what we did. Our daily routine started with morning walks along the bike path with the lake and mountains in the distance as the sunrise welcomed the day. My sisters debated on how to motivate our Boxer mix, Veruca on the walk. Veruca is not really morning dog or a fan of long walks. One morning there was a police car parked outside a house. My sister Karren devised an interesting theory on why the car was parked there. It very well could have been for an upcoming reality series for “Cops in Polson” to be aired very shortly. This was followed by coffee at a local establishment across the street from their hotel. In the afternoon Colleen would join us and our discussions would continue. My sisters taking Colleen to get a pedicure might have been the biggest event of the week.

And this is how this week was spent. I could go on and tell you more, but the context of our conversations would probably be lost and may very well be a boring read. We were simply sharing about our families and life. The beauty was really in the simplicity of our time spent together. We were just enjoying each other’s company. We did not have to DO anything to make the most out of the week. In fact, if we would have been wrapped up in sightseeing, much of this simple beauty would have been lost.

As we have carved our way along this journey, we have met some amazing people and have witnessed some the most beautiful parts of our country. What we were reminded of this week was how much we have missed family on this journey. It had been a year since my nephews wedding in Iowa where we saw my family. It had been five months since Colleens parents visited us in Yuma. Today face to face contact with our family is limited. This brings to light the importance of enjoying every single minute of our time together, when we are together. We understand that tomorrow is not promised and who knows if we will have the opportunity again.