The Last Light of May - A Fuji Journey Ends

The Matchbook | 6.26.26

Alas, the end of May has arrived! Also, it’s a palindromic date today, 6.26.26. Amazing. Anyways, today is the final third, the final bits of the final month before Summer (usually) arrives here in Montana and we all get to remember heat again. And smoke. And fire. And sweat. Ahh, but not yet. Not yet.

Here is the final journey through May, the closing of a chapter, the turning of a page. We saw more, did things, and I took photos the whole way through. As per usual my dudes. As per usual.

If you love these, join the family with a paid subscription. It literally is the only way I can keep doing these, and not have to get a different job that wouldn’t let me take photographs ever again. Cue Tears.

Here goes, the last bits and bobs of May:

Click to view on the website, which lets you view these bigger and scroll through the gallery.

For the first time ever, Sarah hit golf balls. She’s a lefty, so having our niece Banks in town let her actually experience the slapping of a little white ball with a big metal stick, as Banks is also left-handed. She did shockingly not shockingly well, she’s good at all things she tries, and I wonder a little if she kinda got bit by the golf bug. I used to play, but now cannot really afford it anymore so don’t much, but I will say, there are a lot worse ways to kill a few hours of time in a beautiful place. It’s just you that you compete against, and mostly it’s trying to stay calm when you shank balls the opposite direction you were aiming. Still though, it’s good to be outside and off phones, right? We then wandered downtown, and finally ventured up to Elliston to see the family that was staying up there in the forest.

As mentioned, a massive forest fire broke out and it was eerily visible from the front steps of my folk’s forest house. Yikes. I think it’s out now that a few more weeks have passed, but it burned over 2,000 acres. That’s a lot. Also, Gilly loved being deep in the woods so much, he promptly rolled in bear shit and we had to outdoor bathe him in freezing cold water. That was fun?

Back into town for the remainder of the month, I snapped the Last Chance Waterpark because it too felt exactly like the pool in Stranger Things. Inside, and out. Trust me. More flowers, more sunsets, more crazy storms that shook the world with all its lightning and thunder.

We stopped at the cemetery at Fort Harrison on Memorial Day to meet Sarah’s folks at her grandfather’s grave. They do it every year, a thank you to a man who served, and it was beautiful to see their tradition, photograph the most insanely gorgeous stormy sunset that filled the sky with contrast and grace.

Had two beautiful run-ins with tiny little lovely things in the form of a ladybug (ladybird to my UK friends) and a big old beautiful Comma butterfly. She floated around Sarah and I for about 5 minutes while we stood still and watched her, before landing on my head and staying there for the entire walk down to my Mom’s house. Almost 20 minutes straight of just sitting on my head, watching the world go by.

I firmly believe, if you’re gentle with the world, it will respond in little connections, just like this.

Finished the month with a strange weather shift from heat to cold, from dry to rainy and foggy and more Irish than Montana is used to. It was so refreshing and gorgeous to walk through a world we usually know as so desert-like and arid, and see mist rising and puddles forming and little drops of water on everything.

Gilly loves the chilly days the most, and was in heaven running through the long wet grass.

I think we still smell him in the house from all that moisture. Time to light more incense, time to open some windows.

Thank you for being part of these little walkthrough journeys. Thank you for caring. For supporting this simple little life.

I Love you all.

Be good.