JUST FILLING IN!

Well, I’m back from Bozeman, have my computer all ready to post to my blog – and…. Wouldn’t you know it – I can’t get my photos to load from my camera to my computer, and I packed the truck today and my camera instructions are out of reach.  Oh, well – I’ll do a “fill in” post.

On a recent post, I told you about falling in mud.   Well, my shoes were caked with mud.   Insidious, gooey, gumbo mud.   So I went searching for another pair of shoes in the truck.   When I was packing, it got to the point that I was pulling stuff out of boxes, and even tote bags and stuffing every nook and cranny.   A brief search found 3 shoes -   a flip flop, a blue plastic garden clog, and a suede Birkenstock clog.   One of each pair.   The matches were no where to be found.   So for the last couple days, I’ve been wearing 1 blue clog, and 1 suede clog whenever I head outside.  But, today, I’m headed to town and the first order of business is to find a matching shoe.  Any matching shoe – I just hope it’s not the flip-flop!!!!

IN THE NEWS!

Glacier Park:   Crews are hopeful they will have the Going-to-the-Sun highway open by this Friday, June 15 – that sounds late in the year – but……. Last year they didn’t get it opened until July 13!!!!   This year’s progress has been hampered by an additional 16 inches of snow since Memorial Day.   Snow storms, fog and rain have hampered their efforts.   Last week, avalanches ranging from 8 – 15’ caused some crews to have to plow their way back through avalanches that came in behind them during the day.  (I know, this is old news, but interesting to me)

Great Falls, MT: Budget Travel magazine and it’s website, budgettravel.com listed my home town as one of America’s 11 greatest riverfront towns.   Others on the list include, New Orleans, and San Antonio – impressive company!    Great Falls’ River’s Edge Trail which is built partly on old railroad beds is great for cycling and walking from town to Giant Springs.

I’ve unloaded and piled on Diane’s porch everything from the back of the truck that was in front of all the stuff I brought for, my niece to sell, hopefully.  Nicki, has an antique shop in town called Homestead Treasures.   I have a lot of collectibles bought during my working years, some antiques and, well, just say it – stuff.  The collectibles won’t be as interesting for Nicki – but some of the boxes will be.  I packed it all several months ago, and I don’t even remember what all there is.   I started out listing everything, item by item.  But some of the boxes name 2-3 items, and end in “just more stuff”.   And, there is more stuff I left at a Brooke’s.   

Yesterday, I contacted the lady in charge of  Montana’s “Loners on Wheels” and made arrangements to join the group the middle of July camping along the Boulder River.   I am so looking forward to that.  I think after that weekend, Barb and I will stay there a few days to enjoy the activities at the near-by hot springs.

While in town yesterday, I bought a pattern for PJ’s for Tucker.  Well, he needs them!!!  Nice warm fleece ones.   The pattern calls for ¾ yard – I thought, “that just can’t be”  So I took out the pattern and cut out the pieces for the small size.   My gosh, I’ll have to reduce it by half, or even more!    I won’t be able to adjust the pattern that much – I’ll have to draw my own.

I’m a slob in many ways, but my patterns are always (well, nearly always)  folded neatly and returned to the envelope.   Sometimes I iron them into submission just to fit them in. I think that’s called misplaced neatness.

Now – the present time!

I talked to Sister-in-Law Carol today, and helped her decide not to hike  into pretty prairie to scatter my brother’s ashes in August.   Instead, we are taking them to Logging Creek where my Father’s and other Brother’s ashes have been scattered.     She was concerned as to whether Logging Creek was as pretty as Pretty Prairie -  I was there as a teenager, and what I remember is a large flat area with a stream cutting through it.   So, Diane and I took a road trip today to Logging Creek – it’s a lovely area – the campground is right along the creek where it runs between a couple of mountains, and better still, I called my nephew, Bob (my other brother’s son) who with his mother and siblings were at Logging Creek with his Dad’s ashes last year – he has the exact location of Dick’s ashes saved in his GPS, and even better, he’s coming up in August to join us  Maybe by doing it closer, more people will want to attend.

When we left the campground, we decided to go out the opposite of the way we came – the sign was a little confusing – looked like Hwy 89 was 13 miles either way.  Well, it wasn’t.   The way we picked was 30 miles.   But, what a ride!   We climbed to about 7500’, and just rode with it -  in and out of the trees, passing high mountain meadows alive with wildflowers.  Each meadow seemed to have it’s own color scheme – one had mostly white flowers, another, mostly blue.  It was stunning – and even though I’d been along that particular road – a long time ago – I had completely forgotten what it was like – it was like being on the Blue Ridge and seeing mountains as far as the eye can see!   At one point, we pulled over for the view – a massive valley with alpine meadows forming patchwork with the trees.  Neither of us realized how wide that mountain range was – and we weren’t even all the way to the opposite side!  We got back to Hwy 89 about 60 miles from home – we had left #89 about 12 miles from home!

We returned home about 6:30 and raided the refrigerator for left-overs.  Fastest meal we had ever cobbled together.

I talked with Barb this evening, and she is back in Helena so I’m leaving tomorrow for her place – but before I leave, we are going to see if we can start Diane’s riding mower so I can do part of her lawn, at least.  Her grandson usually does it, but he is going out of town.  Diane would do it, but…… her legs are too short to reach the pedals – that’s a problem I certainly don’t have!

In any event – we’re back on the road again tomorrow – headed for new adventures. 

Until next time,

Bear Hugs

Luv ‘n Boots & Tucker

And don’t forget Wee Beastie

She believed she could do it and so she did!