Sunday, May 27, 2012

The view from our window

It's Sunday morning, Memorial Day weekend and there isn't much moving  on the highway outside our hotel window.  We had a quiet night despite having hoards of teenage girls in town for the track meet down the hall from us.  Thankfully, their coach must have enforced the curfew for the night. After a very long day in the car yesterday, it felt luxurious and indulgent to lounge in the room all morning.  We don't have far to travel today and Bob and Noreen won't be in till late afternoon, so we can take our time in Rapid City today.

  
We had an 11:00 checkout time, loaded up the car, and went in search of a good Mexican restaurant.  It's amazing when you're traveling to have access to the internet on your phone to find what you want...we found a list of restaurants with reviews and maps, chose one and we drove right to it.  On the Border is a chain, but it was pretty good and I found a dish I had never had before: a teriyaki fried, chicken stuffed avocado, that I had to try.  Some things just shouldn't be messed with and an avocado is one of them. Turns out, it is just superfluous to put batter on an avocado and fry it.

Thomas Jefferson

We left home without coffee beans and with the promise of an espresso maker waiting for us, we went in search of a Starbucks. Once again my phone proved invaluable, plotting out a course for us and we got our beans and an iced coffee to go.
We drove downtown to kill some time and check out an area we had been to on our last trip through Rapid City.  Being a Sunday and a holiday weekend, we weren't expecting much to be open, but you just have to get out and see what you can find.  Being so close to Mt. Rushmore, Rapid City is, of course, going to be overrun with things presidential and we found these bronze statues on almost every corner.  The sign on the salon shop door in the background informed customers that the shop was closed due to the smoke from the hookah shop rising up from the basement driving the owner from the premises, but she would accommodate clients by appointment . I just got a kick out of Mr. Jefferson with his quill pen defining freedoms for a new nation, and the fight over rights going on behind him...who's rights should prevail?  The rights of local women to get  facials and mani-pedis with out getting fumigated or the rights of the smokers to sample product before they buy it?  

Art Alley, Rapid City

We literally stumbled into this alley without any prior knowledge of it's existence.  One expects to find graffiti  everywhere these days, it's ubiquitous, I've seen it near the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Vatican in Rome, but this was totally unexpected. This is just a monument to graffiti art in all it's rebellious glory, and in such an unexpected place, I felt a little sense of displacement, like falling through the looking glass and landing in Brooklyn.  Who knew that out here in conservative South Dakota there would be an obviously thriving art community that could commandeer a section of prime downtown real estate and declare itself? We 
really enjoyed checking it all out and taking photos and video 
and wondering what the story was.  So far, I can't find much info 
on the internet about it, being a holiday weekend there weren't 
many people around to ask.  I understand that there are weekly 
gatherings here and it's officially listed on the city's web site as 
a tourist destination.  Now that is progress! The mere existence of such a place gives me hope! 
We continued our explorations of downtown, checked out the lobby of the venerable Alex Johnson Hotel, with it's decorative ceiling and and hearth, searching out vintage shop signage, finding more of the bronze presidents.  David ducked into a fishing outfitters hoping  to find  the owner of a vintage VW bug parked out front. Amazingly, the owner was the shop keeper and they had a great time sharing adventures in car and motorcycle restoration.

Heading for the Hills

   
We took care of a bit of grocery shopping  before we got out of town and then, connecting with Bob and Noreen about timing our arrival, took leave of Rapid City and began our assent into the Black Hills.  


The conditions for driving were drastically different than the previous day and we really appreciated the gorgeous views and brilliant skies to guide us to our destination.
Once again, our phones proved invaluable with their ability to access maps, with their little blue dots to show you where you are.

You can't beat this setting for cocktails

Upon our arrival, Noreen and Bob  greeted us warmly, with kisses and open arms, invited us in, gave us the quick tour of the house, and ushered us out to the deck and patio to reveal the promised view of Mt Rushmore...they weren't kidding, it is phenomenal!  Pinching ourselves at our good fortune, we made a quick job of unloading the cars, and depositing our baggage so we could take advantage of the evening sunshine and enjoy a margarita.
We watched as the sun set behind the hills and the the lights came on to illuminate the monument.  

Bob got out his guitar and he and 
the birds provided a wonderful 
soundtrack to the evening. 
It was well past 10:00 before 
we realized we missed our 
dinner and Noreen and David 
pulled together a great feast of 
chicken burritos and scalloped 
potatoes....
I swear, it was a delicious, 
if odd combo! 

Just the first 

of many evenings 

to come, we are 

grateful to be here 

with our friends 

and having the 

time of our lives!  

Thought for the day

Lesson:  It is great to have a plan and map,
but it is important to get lost and allow serendipity to guide you.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Recently, we excepted an invite from our good friends Bob and Noreen to head to the Black Hills and stay at a vacation home near Mt. Rushmore that belongs to some friends of theirs who live abroad. The owners had expressed the wish that the cabin be used, and we were happy to oblige.   As these things evolve, we soon had plans to extend the trip to Denver and visit friends and family there.  Originally, David was hoping to grab an opportunity to have another motorcycle trip, but eventually we decided that weather was going to be too unpredictable and the amount of stuff we were taking precluded that possibility. 

Some trips just fall together and this one fell together so quickly and easily that you know you have to do it. So here we are on the road, but I can already tell this trip is going to be completely different, as well it should be, or else why would you want to go?  What I loved about taking the motorcycle, was that you literally are in the environment you are traveling through: no safe and insulating glass and metal structure separating you from the road and the wind and the view.  I love the relative 'quiet' of riding on the back of the bike, just watching the world go by, observing and thinking....or not thinking, just being.  Well, a car can not provide any of those sensations.  The car seems to be merely a means of getting somewhere and the motorcycle is 'somewhere' all the time. I expect I will learn a thing or two this time around from the road. 

Lake Okabena, Worthington, MN

Auspiciously, as with last time, we hit the road in a rainstorm, but unlike last time, the rain and gloom lasted all day, and we congratulated ourselves for the decision to take the car.  We headed south on 169 and SW on 60 to Worthington, MN where we stopped for a chilly, but dry, picnic lunch by Lake Okabena.  It's pretty windy in this part of Minnesota and this lake has been the site of National Wind Surfing competitions.  There are also a lot of giant windmills punctuating the landscape.

Porter Sculpture Park

We headed west on I 90 and about a half an hour past              
Sioux Falls near Montrose we stopped at Porter Sculpture 
Park. On our last trip through South Dakota I had spotted many of these enormous whimsical sculptures that dot the landscape along the road and so I really wanted to stop and check some of them out. From the freeway we spotted an enormous bull's head sculpture and signs for the park and pulled off to take a look.
The sculptor was there with his dog and told us that the ideas for the sculptures were all the dog's, he just builds them since the dog lacks opposable thumbs.  The bull's head is 60 feet tall and made of railroad tie plates.  There is a door set into the back of it so you can step inside and the light coming through the metal plates shines like stars in the night sky.  All the sculptures in the park reflect the artist's whimsical sense of humor and they are situated on a rolling grassy landscape with an extended view of the prairie giving them room to breathe  and affords the viewer the opportunity to get a little welcome exercise after a long stretch in the car.  A little fresh air and fresh art revive the spirit.

Al's Oasis, Chamberlain, SD

At Chamberlain we stopped at Al's Oasis for some dinner.
Noreen's father was an artist and had done some work at the Lewis and Clark rest stop here, and I wanted to stop and see it but failed to realize that it was on the east side of the river and and we had missed it.  Perhaps we'll see it when we return, but generally we take a different route home so I guess we have to save it for the next road trip.  
We decided to power through and drive all the way to Rapid City.  Sometimes, especially when the weather is iffy, it's best just to 'get there.' We drove through mist and fog all the way from Al's to Rapid City, arriving just as it was getting dark.  

A toast to Happy Trails

We had expected to camp at a KOA we stayed at on our last trip,
but decided the weather was a little too wet for camping, consequently we didn't have any hotel reservations. We stopped at the first hotel we came to and they told us that there was a a girl's state track meet and a fat tire bike competition going on, and of course the holiday weekend which had filled every available room in the city.  They thought the Cambria Suites across the way might have one room left so we drove over there and grabbed it.  It's a new facility so the rooms were very nice and we were happy to get it and not have to drive all over town.  We settled in and went down to the lobby to have a glass of wine to celebrate our first day on the road before turning in. 

Thought for the day:

An appropriate message for the day

Road Lessons/Day 21

Downtown, midtown, and uptown Martinsdale

It is always hard to say goodbye to friends you love, who treat you with such hospitality and generosity, and it always feels like we are giving the impression that we can't wait to leave, but getting back on the road is exciting and we are full of mixed emotions: sad to go, but anxious to get underway.   I think I am starting to get this addiction to riding that bikers have.  It really is satisfying to travel this way.

So, our last breakfast, our last hugs and kisses, our last heartfelt thank yous, and we are on the road to Martinsdale, MT and David's cousin Rob.  The ride out of Bozeman, up towards Bridger Bowl Ski Area is unbelievable!  The rolling hills and mountain views are just amazing. At one point, we both thrust out our right hands, pointing at the same time, at the same site, so the other wouldn't miss the amazing scenery we were passing, it was like Italy, like Tuscany, gentle hills, covered with pines, a foggy mist laying in the cleavages. (Later we both agreed, THAT was the valley we wanted to live in). (With our next million bucks, right?)

We were scheduled to meet Rob at 11:00 in Martinsdale, and the ride being shorter than we expected, we rolled in about 10:30, but Rob was there waiting so it worked out perfectly.  The road out to the Crazy M Ranch is about 14 miles of gravel, not advisable on our overloaded bike, so Rob was offering to let us store the bike in the little storage shed in town, where he keeps his Harley.
David and Rob had not seen each other in 20 or more years, he and I had probably never met...we couldn't think of any family event we might have been at together, but he is a warm and outgoing person, so we felt like friends right away. This is so great for the cousins to reconnect and we are looking forward to a couple of days of just hanging out with Rob and his girlfriend Kimmi.  They are temporary caretakers at a 12,000 acre ranch, the
Crazy M.  Kimmi is responsible for cooking and light housekeeping duties for the owners, a 90 year old couple from LA, who made their millions in real estate and spend their summers here at the ranch.

Smoky haze on the Crazy Mountains

Rob has yard work, vehicle maintenance, and rodent control (rabbits and marmots and mice, oh, my!) priorities, but he helps Kimmi with her chores, as well.

As we travel the road to the ranch, we are glad to be in a big four wheel drive truck....it is a very narrow, curvy road, that has frequent very steep inclines and declines....now we know why he recommended that he pick us up!

David and Rob compare road trips on the map

We find out that the 'fog' that we see lying in the hills is actually smoke that was blown in from a fire in Wyoming, by a strong wind  the night before, making the whole valley very misty and mysterious.

The main house and caretaker's house, and a few out buildings are situated in the most beautiful valley, completely surrounded by hills, it is  perfectly secluded, idyllic even...and there's 12,000 acres of it!
We arrive, unload, Rob shows us to our room, a bright airy, attic room in the cozy caretaker's house, he shares with Kimmi.  She is still at work in the main house and so we sit outside and wait for her to join us.  It's a great place to relax and soon David and Rob are talking non stop about motorcycles and riding and adventures they have been on, the places they've been, they are two peas in a biker pod...definitely speaking the same language!  Soon they have an atlas out and are showing each other routes they taken and will take.  Soon enough Kimmi comes home and there are more introductions and greetings and stories etc.  She needs to take the Jeep into town to shop from the Hutterites who come to town once a week for 2 hours, to sell their produce.  I offer to keep her company and it's the long trek back up the 14 miles of gravel road and into little Martinsdale again.

We stop at the post office first, and chat with Connie the Postmistress, who is really going to miss Kimmi when they leave in September, and I buy some stamps and Kimmi picks up some priority mailing boxes.

Across the street the Hutterites have set up their produce and we head over to do some shopping.
There is a Hutterite community in the area and it is possible to go there to shop, but Kimmi says it is easier when they come to town.  I will say that it was a very interesting experience, the Hutterites are a very unique sect....I will leave it at that. We buy some veggies at exorbitant prices ($8 for a quart of pickled beets?!) and hop back in the Jeep for the slow ride home.  Kimmi is a person of varied talents and experiences...and we are already talking non stop...so the trip goes fast...and it seems as though we have known each other for a long time, it is so easy going.

Kimmi has to make dinner for the ranch owners, and so David and Rob and I get the wine out and sit around the table telling stories and laughing till she comes back.  It was really fun to get to know Rob after all these years, and I am still amazed how much he and David are alike and have similar interests and outlooks....how is it they haven't kept in touch?  It's a guy thing I guess, who knows, but I hope that changes.  When Kimmi returns she makes dinner, there's more wine and we have more stories and find that Kimmi spent a lot of years in around the Twin Cities, working as a chef and creating the recipes and menus for many local establishments (among them Maud Borup Chocolates!).  She and Rob were both dividing their time between the US and Mexico for many years before they met, so when they did, they found they were kindred spirits with a love of adventure.  I had to say to Kimmi, that she didn't look old enough to have done all the things she's done!
(I asked Kimmi if she preferred Kim or Kimmi, and she said she pretty much answers to Kimmi now.  In the part of Mexico where she has lived the most, they do not have a 'K' and so when she said her name was Kim they called her Tim.  But there is a nickname 'Qemi' (sp?) and so when she started to introduce herself as Kimmi they could understand it, and so the Kimmi stuck!) I will say again, that it felt as though we were with lifelong friends that we just dropped in on.

Sunset over the Crazy Mountains

We were hoping to see some elk activity tonight,  Rob says the elk are in rut and they face off in the field just a few yards from the house, and so normally they can sit on their deck and listen to them bugle and watch them fight.  Not tonight!

Today's quote: Everyday, Kimmi's 90 year old employer writes up a menu for the day, inevitably he requests "Lots of Gravy!!!"...it is our new mantra!

And so the lesson for the day, #32, from the mouths of nonagenarians: Always ask for more gravy in life and you'll often get it!

Road Lessons/Day 20

This morning Elizabeth had a meeting and Bob had an appointment to give a colleague a fly fishing lesson.  David and I made a breakfast with Harriet and Pearl's fresh eggs with toast and coffee. We thought we'd take another hike, and checked the guide for something a little shorter and less up hill, and opted for a "leisurely stroll" up to the giant "M" that is up on the mountain overlooking Bozeman.
There is a choice when you get to the trail head: easy or hard, we chose the easy trail......
This trail turns out to be just as steep and up hill as the previous day's trail, but, it was more in the open, with views of the valley and city beyond.  Today is hot and the air is hazy in the valley.

We stopped frequently for water and to catch some intermittent shade and had conversations with some of our fellow hikers.  We met a woman from Whitefish, MT, who had dropped off her son at the college for his first year; he was planning on a major in photography.  We chatted about life in Montana, she prefers it to Arizona; which might be better: Missoula or Bozeman...she likes Missoula...more liberal, lots of culture.

We got almost to the top, and the trail became confusing...it appeared to continue straight ahead, but there were obstructions that looked purposeful...a trail to the left indicated that it was a link to another trail that is 21 miles long, so we sat on a log, looked at the view and decided we didn't need to see the giant M.  We started down the "quick" route, and ran into the most hyperactive pair....a mother and son coming pellmell down the slope gripping each other's hands, with good reason....the boy, who looked to be 8 or 9,was slipping and sliding because they were moving too fast, he slipped and she yanked him right up off his feet, but kept him from falling! The boy cried out to us "See, that's why we're holding hands!"  They zoomed on by us almost at a run, still clinging to the other's hand.  About 5 minutes later we ran into them again coming back up the hill saying..."Don't go this way! It's the wrong way! It's a dead end!"  They came up to us panting and agitated saying that they had made the same mistake last time they were there, the boy was concerned because 3 other hikers had continued on that path, he was sure they were going to get in trouble. "Are we going to die?" he asked his mom.  So we all started back the way we'd come to find the other trail and take the long way, but sure way back down.  They took off at their crazy fast pace and were soon out of sight....as they ran on the boy cried "I hope we see you next time we come here!"  I can't imagine what the hurry was, but it seemed they needed cram this hike into a very busy day.

Old Ellen Theater, downtown BoZo

We got home, made some salads for lunch, and got cleaned up for an afternoon of shopping in downtown Bozeman.  I had hoped to find a nice piece of jewelry on this trip and to replace my shabby coin purse that has a broken zipper. I am still carrying the shabby coin purse, and have not found any unique jewelry items...so far I have the T- shirt from Sturgis and some postcards, a few bumper stickers and coasters for the collection at the cabin, and the cheap bottle opener/fingernail clipper we bought out of necessity at the Crazy Horse Monument gift shop.  I know we can't carry much on the bike, but really!  Oh, well, I am trying to accumulate less, right? I do enjoy the shops in Bozeman, though.

Bob and Elizabeth dropped us at our very favorite Bozeman shopping experience: Murdock's Ranch and Home Store, while they went to Costco. They were having a sidewalk sale!  It was very hot this afternoon, 96 degrees, so we didn't last long in the hot parking lot so went inside to look around, David found a good cowboy belt, his shopping list for the trip now fulfilled, and then we sat in the big cushy chairs they have next to a big stone fireplace, surrounded by their Pendleton blanket and accessories department, while we waited for Bob and Elizabeth to come back: the heat and hike did us in!

Tonight we drank cold champagne and sat on the grass while Harriet and Pearl had their dirt baths: chickens spend the day spreading oil from a gland on their feathers with their beaks.  Later they wallow and flap in the dirt to clean away bugs etc, and when they are done, they shake like a wet dog to remove the dirt, which sloughs off easily, due to their beautifully oiled feathers, and now they are very clean and fluffy chickens!

We enjoyed another fabulous meal, sadly nearly our last in this lovely Bozeman home with these lovely Bozeman friends.  Grilled steaks and veggie sausages, salads and corn.  Another evening on the deck, this time without the comforters.  This house, due to proper situation and design, needs no air conditioning even in this heat....they use cross ventilation and well timed opening or closing of windows and drapes.  It's astounding! Oh and no bugs either.

Quote for the day

Lesson #31:  You can't always believe what you read...you have to find out for yourself.

Road Lessons/Day 19

Wall at UM Bozeman

Bob and Elizabeth scheduled an appointment today with their architects....

What took me a while to realize, is that this appointment was meant for US!

After breakfast today, our early  :)  10:30 meeting at the University of Montana, Bozeman in the
Architecture Department was with two faculty members who have conceived of a revolutionary (seriously: some of this is going to be hard for people to get their minds around),  new way to build a green, prefab house that has applications for almost any environment: they are earthquake and hurricane proof, are adaptable and flexible, easily conforming to local tastes and materials,  and easily moved, expanded, and reconfigured,.....and Bob and Elizabeth will be the prototype builders of this new home on their land at Poison Creek.  It will be like Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, or Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House. The Ranch at Poison Creek could be part of architectural history!  And for some reason they wanted us to get the full picture!...of course, David had input as far as lighting and systems controls may go, and he was given the opportunity to give his spiel  and they responded to all our questions and observations with enthusiasm and respect. Having been involved in the construction and design worlds for some time, we gave them the impression that we, too, were architects, I guess we just speak the language well enough to get along! I did not take pictures and I will not describe it further, because there are patent issues and privacy issues, but suffice it to say...it was very exciting and I felt very honored to have been given a couple hours of valuable time, so that we could become familiar with this new design and technology, ask a zillion questions, and give our friends our two cents worth of opinion! Elizabeth is fond of saying "let me staff you on that," meaning let me get that for you, we hope that, in return, we can staff her and Bob, and that some of our thoughts and reflections on this new project may be of value to them....Stay tuned for future road trips when we return to Montana and check on the progress of construction.  They are hoping to begin next spring.

After this exciting meeting, we had sandwiches back at the house, and while Bob and Elizabeth caught up on some of their own duties, David and I went for a hike up Sype's Canyon Trail just outside of Bozeman.



This was a rugged trail UP all the way...a little bit of weeding in the garden was not enough exercise for this workout, but it was mostly in the trees, so cool, and the pay off at the top was phenomenal. The altitude was a factor and so we took our time, stopped regularly for water, and had a great time.  The vistas were spectacular...like I said, this is BIG country out here....

The trek down is always easier.

Back in Bozeman, we stopped at the Montana Ale Works for a local brew and called our friends to come down and join us, which they did.
We decided to sit out on the patio and stay for dinner, as Elizabeth said they had great food here.  And she was right again!
David had bison chili rellenos that he loved... which is amazing, because it is hard to get rellenos right, and I had a tofu soba noodle salad that was very tasty too.

At home, retiring to the deck with wine and down comforters, (yes, it was cool),we had a lovely evening....we will miss this lovely air and light filled home and it's amazing occupants...including Harriet and Pearl...
(Pearl by the way, has had a consultation, via telephone with our own able Dr. Lisa, and has been prescribed rest and observation.  She is still limping a little today, but seems perky enough).  Since they slept in the garage last night, just below our room, it was fun to wake up to the girls clucking and cooing this morning).

Bozeman Grain Elevator

Chicken Yard

Right Angles

Jack, the architect, kept quoting Mies van de Rohe's: 'Less is more' today... there is just plain more and more out on this road we're on...and I have less encumbrances. I think I am ready for less and feel that I need and want  less to feel balanced...I know that I definitely want more light and space, and that means less stuff, less noise, less distraction.  We are really full with our experiences, and all of them came to us because we put ourselves in the path, and said ok, go.  We are almost at the end, just a few more days, and maybe we are ready to go home....I am not sure....Less busy-ness and more experience is a lesson I hope we have taken to heart.

Road Lessons/Day 18

Harriet and Pearl

A busy day in Bozeman:

Coffee and Breakfast: Fruit, including locally grown cantaloupe that was perfect, and yummy frittatas. Did I mention Elizabeth used to run a restaurant?

Good Morning! visit with Harriet and Pearl, the most pampered chickens ever, but also the most well mannered and friendly as well! And I might say, the most well traveled: they have taken road trips to and from Minnesota, among other places. These ladies are definitely members of the family, and obligingly provide Bob and Elizabeth with delicious eggs in exchange for their plush living arrangements.  Their chicken condo, the Omlet, is predator proof, which is necessary in this area, and is very stylish.  In the winter they live in a heated garage and in all seasons they "free range" in the gardens and grass, or snow, of the back yard.

Dave and Laurie do some work for a change!

David and I volunteered to do some weeding while Bob and Elizabeth went to an appointment,
and it felt good to sweat a little for once.  We are definitely going to need a serious fitness regimen after this vacation to work off the excess flab we have accumulated over the weeks on the road.
We were able to get quite a lot done in their absence and, what with altitude and total lack of stamina, we were ready to quit when they got home.  We got cleaned up and jumped into the car for a road trip up Livingston way to tour the new property: the Ranch at Poison Creek.  We packed a few essentials and treats for the numerous dogs and goats on the property that belong to the current tenant, a 50 something year old Dutch transplant named Pebbles.

Pebbles' Goats

On reaching the remote property, down a winding, climbing, gravel road, the first order of business is to give the numerous guard dogs and goats their treats.  Biscuits for the dogs and carrots for the goats.  The goats were hysterical and very friendly. I guess Pebbles actually rents some of them out as pack animals, they can carry up to 70% their own weight in cargo...I did not know that goats were used as pack animals!  They have tiny little saddles for kids to ride as well on these back country trail rides.  Some of the goats are rescue animals that Pebbles (her real name!) adopts and takes care of.

The front yard

Essentially, Bob and Elizabeth will have a front yard 'viewshed' that extends for miles and miles
to the mountain ranges beyond.  The property is totally surrounded by a huge ranch, which used to include this 10 acres too, but a family member sold it off, so the 'backyard' is equally expansive and free of obstruction.  They may someday have a wind farm that violates this pristine landscape, but this remains to be seen.  There is a spring that brings water to the sight and so they hope to eventually have a pond with feeders to pastures for a horse, a cow and goats of their own.  Of course Harriet and Pearl will live within the house surroundings....too many critters up here to keep them safe from.

The back yard

Bob and Elizabeth are in the process of discussing possible plans for the site with a local architect and tomorrow we get to go along to the University of Montana, Bozeman campus, to see what the architect/professor has so far.  We are very excited about that, now that we have seen the site.  The vision so far is really amazing, and it is great to be able to see everything at this infant stage, with the property, basically undeveloped , except for Pebbles' trailer and goat sheds, and when we come back it will be a work in progress, and in future years it will have been transformed: a home and workshop for Bob to build his classic cars.

Bob and Elizabeth survey their property

We took the scenic route back down to Livingston, along the crazy gravel road and every road that was the driveway for some ranch was miles long and there was rarely any sign of the actual dwelling, but up that way is Tom Brokaw's house, and Michael Keaton lives down there a ways.  It is really big country out here.  Big. Really BIG.




I can't wait to see what winter is like out here.......

We had lunch in Livingston and did a little drive around the town and then drove back to Bozeman.

We had naps and blogging catch-up while our hosts went to check out a new oldies car venue nearby in Bob's own custom built 30's Roadster, which is a thing of beauty and true labor of love for Bob. He has had a hand in executing every detail including sewing the upholstery and hand rubbing layers of paint and top coats.

Ailing Pearl gets a lift to the Garage 

When they returned we sat on the porch watching the sun go down and the moon come up...Harriet and Pearl had a walkabout on the lawn and found the ants we dislodged in the garden this morning.

It is apparent that Pearl is under the weather, she seems to be limping and her nose is running! I guess you can tell if a chicken is sick if the comb and area on their cheeks and around their eyes is paler than normal, and in comparison with Harriet, Pearl seems significantly less red! She also, uncharacteristically wanted to snuggle in Elizabeth's lap, Harriet is usually the lap chicken.  So the girls will sleep in the garage tonight.

Sunset from the porch

We had a little pizza, (we were all still stuffed from our huge lunch in Livingston), and some champagne on the porch. Finally, one by one we started off to bed, reminded that we have an early wake up call tomorrow:  we have to be on the way to the U of M by 10:00 :)

The moonrise

A blurry shot of the sunset watchers

One last look at the ranch property and beyond

Quote:  I can't stop repeating what Marlene said when she sipped her favorite wine every evening during Grog at 5: "hmmmmm! that's really good!" I miss them already.



Lesson: Today's lesson refers back to an earlier question regarding the correct pronunciation of the town of Lead, So. Dak. Per my friend Noreen who grew up in the state I have just learned that it is in fact pronounced LEED. Thanks Noreen!

Road Lessons/Day 17

The Reunion Tour Continues!

Jo made us really yummy corn meal pancakes with choke cherry syrup for breakfast, to send us on our way well fed!  Like I said it was fantastic to see them and catch up.  Joining us for breakfast, was their youngest son Mitch's girlfriend, Sammi. A lovely young woman working as a veterinary tech; she is trying out the profession before she goes to college so she doesn't waste her money on getting a degree, and then finding she doesn't really like it.  In Montana, vets can train techs without any schooling, so it works out great for her. We are finding so many of the young people we meet are so practical and forward thinking...we don't remember being that together when we were that age!

Jo and Les are newly retired teachers and this is the first fall they are not preparing for classes and it is a little strange, but they seem to be adjusting well and have lots of plans for projects and trips to keep them out of trouble!  It was really good getting their perspective on making big changes!

The Wagonwheel
in Drummond, MT

We got a fairly late start, but are only going a couple hundred miles today stopping at Bozeman.

In Drummond, known for being  "World Famous Bullshippers," (whatever that means), we stopped for lunch at the Wagonwheel Cafe, gassed up and hit the road again.  We had another beautiful drive through glorious  landscapes, saw several signs for the upcoming Testicle Festival,   but alas, we'll miss it.

Talk about a welcome with open arms!

We've been to Bozeman a couple of times now, but had not come into town from the west before and were wondering if we'd be able to make it to our friend's house without calling for directions.  But suddenly we saw a couple of prominent landmarks (you can't miss the Montana Life Building and the hospital) and got off I90 and drove right to their door, our home away from home in Montana.   Bob and Elizabeth have opened their house to us in the past, when we have come out to ski with friends Toni and Lisa, and it is always  a great  time....only this is our first visit Without  snow. I guess there was snow on the mountains this morning though....winter's coming!  It feels so good to be here and we know we will be spoiled, once again!  Aaah...our life is so rough.....serious fitness programs must be enforced when we get home to work off this vacation!  For now, we will enjoy every second of  our stay with the Degenhart/Scholls!!! They have purchased a property up in the mountains, which we will tour tomorrow, and this may be our last visit to this amazing house, again with our own private guest suite! (Did I mention we are so spoiled?)

Drummond, MT

Today's quote is this sign:
Evidently Meth is really a big problem here.
People break into remote barns, cook the stuff and leave,
making the barns useless, & they have to be torn down
Big ad campaign going on: "Meth, Not Even Once" is the tag, I like the handmade signs.