“WAKE ME UP, When September Enddds,” sang Green Day once. I imagine they sang it many times, but yeah. Apparently this is when September ends, right here, even though it’s flippin November now that you’re seeing how my September ended. Sorry, I’m shit at scheduling.
Anyway, here’s how September ended, and don’t worry, I’ll be a bit more on-the-spot with October’s round up. At least I hope so, I have MOUNTAINS of Fuji photographs to go through from our trip to England and Wales. Oof.
Click to view on the website, which lets you view these bigger and scroll through the gallery.
For reasons I’m sure they are sure of, the Forest Service decided on a few very windy days, to execute a bunch of “planned burns” all around the forest behind our house. That meant, instead of beautiful healthy Autumnal air, we had AQI of over 350 for days and days and we couldn’t even go outside and walk. Sheesh.
Right near the end of September, Sarah, my Mom, and I head over to Missoula for a doctor’s appointment my Mom had, but also to visit Henry and Addie, knee deep in their first semesters of college back. The whole campus at University of Montana is on fire with the changing leaves, and it really does feel like you fell into a college movie from the 80s. Especially because Montana is just so delightfully behind, nothing really changes.
We wandered a long spell, then head out to some of Addie’s favorite spots around town.
It was wild being back to where I spent 3 years of my college life. I graduated from UofM way back in 2003, and I honestly don’t think I’d been back to campus since. We hit up some of the raddest local spots like Rockin Rudy’s record store, rad coffee shops, Betty’s Divine and some local thrift stores, and the easy-to-stroll downtown area. We also got a bite of lunch at Henry’s college house, he shares it with 3 of his best friends and just generally seems to be loving every minute of it.
After snapping some reflection shots, some gorgeous street posters, and even an American flag (which I haven’t photographed for a long time I think), my Mom found Sarah arguably the greatest thrift store find of all time: A Superman cape.
She ran, boy did she run, and that damn cape billowed with greatness.
Stopped to visit Addie’s roommate and best friend Kendal at her job at Clyde Coffee before heading back on the road home. It was so amazing spending a few hours in town with the kids, seeing a campus that truly does Autumn right, and getting to see how they were living now, away from us.
The drive home was staggeringly lovely, light spilling everywhere, larch starting to find their color in the forests up and off the highways. There’s just something about the angle of shine that Montana does better than most places. Almost all, save Scotland, pale in comparison. Come here, see, you’ll understand.
September was beautiful, it was tiring, it was busy, it was still. It was the first of the BERS, and I loved every day of it.
I cannot wait to show you what October was.
If you love it here, please, help keep it alive.
I love you all.
Be good.
Another magical month. Hope that you had a nice trip.
The pink clouds, the yellow leaves, & the Superman cape…pure magic.