Monday, May 13, 2019
By the end of next week I'll probably be on my way to Alaska with my friend, Bonnie Auman with whom I became friends in Big Bend National Park years ago. I have a new ultra lite trailer and both cats, Zuni & Tighe, will be making the journey with me. We will be volunteering for the Army Corps of Engineers about 15 miles from Fairbanks. This posting is just to see if the blog still works. :-)
Bonnie is an experienced volunteer, too. She already volunteered at this same site last year and was such a stellar worker that they accepted me without conducting a background check! Gosh, now I have to behave! Ha ha! More later . . .
Just a few more days before the kitties and I leave for Alaska. This little gem will be our home.💕 Mom wanted to see pictures so here they are!
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| 2014 Ford Edge and 2018 ROV Ultra Light |
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| Add caption |
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| Microwave/Convection oven - a new cooking challenge! |
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| The whole kitchen, complete with new kitty curtains and Zuni's scratching post. Lots of storage space for an ultralight. The litter box is in the cupboard to the left of the sink. |
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Traveled to Moorhead, ND to see a high school friend, Julia Shreve, then on to the National Buffalo Museum.
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| Bonnie, Julia Shreve and me in Moorhead, ND. Julia treated us to a lovely lunch AND Dot's pretzels (truly delicious ND specialty!). It was windy & 50 outside the restaurant, but we got a reprieve from the pounding rain which has dogged us ever since we left Illinois Saturday morning. |
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| Bonnie and I drove an additional few miles to this museum which boasts sacred white buffalo. We're staying tomorrow to tour the museum and pioneer village. . . .maybe even see the white buffalo. |
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| Bonnie said her friend back home, Gwen, promised to bail her out if she got into trouble, but, alas! Too late. |
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| A 45' tall, 30,000 ton buffalo to rival Paul Bunyan! |
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| Don't worry - no crossing the pasture for us old gals! |
Monday, May 20, 2019
The National Buffalo Museum was first on today's agenda, then a drive to the western part of North Dakota where we are overnighting at a rest area. Technically, there is no overnight camping, but Darla from the maintenance department said to drop her name if the police try to make us leave. Sunny, windy and about 60 today, but rain and 38 predicted tonight.
We passed Theodore Roosevelt NP and SO wanted to stop so Bonnie could see it, but there was no cell service so I couldn't tell her to whoa. As we drove by we were treated to views of the magnificent landscape, a prairie dog town in full frolic, and a massive bison bull sunning on a hillside. Wow!
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| Mom, baby and dad right in back of our campground! |
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| Dad and mom both fiercely protected their young one. Bonnie got too close taking their photos and got snorted at by dad. One of the parents was always positioned between the baby and us. |
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| White buffalo under plexiglas with Bonnie. Buffalo was beautiful! Great taxidermy. |
Last night we spent a quiet time at the Trotter, ND visitor center and no one asked us to leave! Cold (saw a few snow flakes), rainy, gloomy most of the way today. We landed at a rest area about 30 miles from Great Falls, MT tonight.
So excited that I will get to see several friends near Glacier NP and Bonnie will visit her sister in Missoula!
Most notable have been the seasonal changes: in Minnesota the trees were just thinking about flowering and the visitor center bird feeders were still entertaining chicadees. We have transitioned from red winged black birds to meadow larks and magpies. And I love seeing small herds of pronghorn grazing amongst the cattle and sage.
More tomorrow!
It's been a long, busy, incredibly fun day in Montana. I slept right through the noise of the freight trains which passed by just a 100 yards from the rest area last night, but Bonnie counted them rumbling by three times. Poor gal was cursing each railcar, too!
We had our respective cat travelers ready for the road by 8:00 a.m. Was it cold? Heck yes! About 42, overcast and a wind that cut right through our light jackets. Trust me, I was wondering why I didn't bring a parka, gloves, earmuffs, etc.
My trek was northwest through Great Falls, Browning, and up Duck Lake Road (464) to a bit north of St. Mary on the east side of Glacier NP to meet Marie Blunk and her husband, Bill. Part of the way up was a little scary due to the heavy clouds blanketing that part of the world at 5,000 feet elevation. I went very slowly, watching the right white line, and praying that some crazy other driver didn't crash into me.
All was well, and Marie drove down to where I parked my rig and brought me up to their cabin. It's heaven there!! Marie served a delicious lunch, we three chatted like mad, then enjoyed a hike around their 3 acre mountain paradise.
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| Two Sisters Restaurant (not open for season yet) where I parked my rig. By the way, I changed vehicles just before my trip - a 2016 Ford F150! |
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| Marie and Bill on a hike through "Blunk National Park" |
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| The view out the front on their home. Sigh! |
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| A shooting star in their front yard (protected by a stake so it doesn't get smushed) |
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| A mystery egg shell found on our hike. |
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| Kinnickinnick (Trust me, Marie had to spell that one for me!) |
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| Unknown white flower |
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| Tiny, wild violets |
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| Snail shells in the woods |
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| Glacier lilies - yummy to eat! Much better than nasturtium. |
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| Me being artsy fartsy showing the pointed-down side of the glacier lily. |
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| The downhill path awash in glacier lilies. |
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| Me trying NOT to squash the lilies (or else Marie would kill me!) |
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| Oregon grape (State flower of Oregon, but they must have let some escape to Montana.) |
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| Soon to be yummy wild strawberries! |
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| Goat's beard lichen, which Marie said turns black in summer. |
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| Cool lichen stuff growing on a log. |
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| The scenery as I left St. Mary area, driving around the southern tip of Glacier NP on my way to Kalispell, MT |
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| A black bear foraging (Yes, I think she was eating glacier lilies! I told you they are delicious! |
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| Moose berries (Just testing to see who's paying attention!) |
Thursday, May 23, 2019 -
Hey, Gwen! Guess where I'm at - Big Fork, MT!
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| Campsite at Spruce Park RV Resort in Kalispell, MT. |
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| The beautiful view of the Flathead River a few yards from my campsite. |
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| Here's the tricky part: what Montana town am I in? |
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Haha! Spent a couple of hours visiting Stan Harper and Troy at their beautiful mountain retreat, dining and touring this super quaint town.
One of the highlights at lunch was Troy reading the police blotter in the local newspaper. "9:42 a.m. A local man received a threatening message on Facebook."
"2:03 p.m. A Kalispell woman said a drone was flying over her as she enjoyed her lunch."
"2:19 p.m. A Kalispell man was thinking of taking things into his own hands."
"3:25 p.m. A Californian was driving like a jerk through Bigfork." (Note: Montanans HATE Californians." |
Friday, May 24, 2019
Crossed into Canada at the Port of Roosville at 11:30 today. Photos from the Alberta Welcome Center.
