Deer Lodge, MT

On Friday, July 8, I went to Browning, MT for a pow wow, my first in a long time.  It was a very windy ride over 90 minutes, but more about that later.  After being thoroughly informed of the picture policy by a man at the gate, I decided not to buy a $20 permit, as I have taken lots of pow wow pictures and none do them justice at all.  My next stop - fry bread!  Yes, Zoe, I know your mouth is watering right now as you read this.  I had an Indian Taco, fully loaded, then a fry bread with sugar and cinnamon for dessert.  I thought they would have to carry me away I was so full!  Then I was off to the arena, fully enclosed behind a high fence to keep the wind out.  Good thing, too, 'cause it was fierce, even with the protection.  The dancers and drums and singers brought back many good memories and I was very glad to be there.  The vendors left much to be desired, but I did manage to get a CD of pow wow music from the Gathering of Nations and a new drum stick. 

On Thursday morning, golf fever over took me and I just had to go chase the little white ball.  The last time I played was last summer, I realized, and this was a good time to get out again.  The scenery alone made it worthwhile, with a white tail deer gracing the fairway and a fast pace.  I manage to shoot a 48 on a flat, straight course with no hazards, and spent a lot of time just gazing at the mountains. 

The water in Glacier was the highlight for me, just as the wildlife was in Roosevelt.  This roaring river could easily be heard from the road and required a stop for a closer look.  Man o man, what a view!

The ride to and from Browning turned out to be the second worst ride I've ever had.  The first was last fall when I rode through the remnants of a tropical storm from Wilmington to Newport.  Both lasted about 90 minutes and both were very windy.  But the one here, winds were 22 mph gusting to 35 and the temperature was 61 and felt like 40!  The muscles in my forearms and hands are sore today from holding on.  It was just a wee bit more adventure than I bargained for!  Another factor contributing to the 2nd worst ride award was the long waits for road construction.  As the man said when I checked into the RV park at glacier:  We have 2 seasons here:  winter and road construction.  Some waits were up to 20 minutes, so I would relax and take a few pics. 

The sighting of today on the drive down to was a pair of golden eagles doing their mating dance in flight.  My glimpse was very brief and a picture was out of the question, but I was very grateful for the privilege of seeing them do their thing.  The second best sighting was the pic at the top of this post, about 20 miles north of Missoula (love that name and how it sounds!).  I almost didn't stop, but a little voice said to, so I did.  And I'm glad. 

Tomorrow I'll arrive in Yellowstone for a 10 day stay and can't wait to ride the Burg through there.  I want to take my time and soak it all in.  I also hope to wet a hook a time or two while there, and would love to see a bear, but not when I'm on the Burg.  Thanks for stopping by and stayed tuned as the adventure continues!