A Rose By Any Other Name

We had planned on leaving today.  But, the Kerr siblings decided it was a perfect time to give Millie a surprize birthday party.  Actually, her birthday isn't until Wednesday, but what the heck?  We were here.

Joyce and I needed to do some stocking up for our continued trip, so we borrowed Kensey's little Kia sedan, a 5-speed stick shift.  I hadn't driven a stick in several years, but it came back quickly...except for the narrow footwell and my big fat Crocs.  I had a little trouble fitting both feet down there at the same time.

We went to St. Anthony for groceries, but the one and only grocery was closed, Sunday, you know.  So, we went on to Rexburg.  We found an Albertson's and both took a cart.  When we checked out, I remembered I was driving a small Kia.  I wasn't real sure we could get it all in.  But, we did and headed back.  While at the store, Joyce had picked up a single long-stem rose for Millie.  Now why didn't I think of that?

We got home and unloaded the car and Joyce had me present the rose to Millie.  I felt a little, uh, like I was stealing since it was Joyce that had bought the rose.

To manage the surprize party, we had to get Millie out of the house so the girls could decorate.  Sky, Millie, Joyce and I - oh, and baby Pennie went for a drive.  The "reason" was so Sky could show us where he worked.  He extended the trip by running up into the foothills where he had done his student teaching at an outdoor classroom camp.  The drive was amazing.  The rolling hills of farmland, horse ranches and hay fields in the most wide open land I've seen.  In the near distance, the open range land and pine forests.  Another great drive.

We came back home to a houseful of excited kids and sisters and surprised Millie.  We had ice cream and brownies and popped balloons between our bodies in a most interesting and maybe a little vulgar way.

Grandma Joyce did some babysitting during the melee'.

It was fun, but the evening was passing and Joyce and I were heading out in the morning.  Goodnight all.

Boondockin'

A nice day...no, a great day.  Skyler wanted to take us all up to Teardrop Lake to show us where they camp.  A picnic was in order.  Sky packed up some port steaks and a bunch of fixin's, plus Smores parts and pieces (marshmallows, Graham crackers, and Hershey bars).  We had to take two vehicles as Millie's Suburban is a big vehicle, but it couldn't handle ten passengers, especially since five of them required car seats.  So, Whitney took her Chevy sedan as well.

The drive was beautiful, climbing into the foothills of the Teton Range.  We drove up past Warm River campground and just kept going.  The road turned into one I was a little dubious Whitney's sedan should attempt, but she hung in there.  Eventually, we came to a beautiful lake.

Actually, Whitney had beaten us there because Skyler had taken us up to see their "secret" campsite, waaay back in the woods with the deer, elk, and bears.  Bears!  Funny story.  Sky had taken his sister Kensey along to camp there a few weeks ago.  He had done such a good job of describing the hazards of meeting with the local bears that Kensey was a bit more than concerned.  Sky volunteered to fire off a shot or two from his pistol to make sure the bears kept their distance.  I guess it worked.  Kensey is still with us.

Anyway, we caught up with Whitney at the lake.  The best picnic spot was across a little stream that was the overflow for the lake.  It didn't look like much sitting in Millie's Suburban, but we weren't sure about Whitney's Chevy.  But, Sky said he had a tow strap in the back and just charged on across the stream leaving Whitney to fend for herself.  She did and came rolling up behind Sky at the fire pit.  We all jumped out and started setting up chairs and dragging out picnic stuff.

It didn't take long for us to realize the light jackets we had worn weren't going to be sufficient.  Sky started building a fire, so we decided we might be okay.  But, our Jeremiah Johnson was a little slow at getting a decent fire going.

Most of us were beginning to shiver and hiding behind trees to block the wind.  That wind!  It would have been plenty warm enough without that wind.

The big decision came down fairly quickly.  It would be Smores only.  So, after several burned tongues, sticky fingers and marshmallow wads on shirt sleeves and blue jean knees, Sky poured water on the small fire he had started, we packed up and headed back.  On the way, we were blessed with a good view of a moose strolling in a roadside meadow.

After traveling across North Dakota, much of Montana and through Yellowstone, we finally saw a moose just a few miles from Ashton.  It was a fine finish to a fine day...except for that sharp wind.

Inbound

Addey was off to work early in her new long-sleeved shirt she had bought at the D. I. store and Skyler off for his 5th day on his new job.  Skyler’s oldest sister, Whitney and her three kids were coming up from Salt Lake City to stay for a week.  After a few fits and starts, Whitney called to let us know she would be in around 6 pm.  Joyce, Millie and I had a late breakfast and we did some laundry.  Then Skyler came home early.  Sky and I goofed off with Rosie in the TV room and before we knew it. Whitney rolled in around 7.  The noise level immediately went up several db.  Whitney has a five year old girl, Pepper and a four year old boy named Kade and a beautiful little 6 month old girl, Emree.  To say Kade keeps things stirred up is to put it mildly.  He’s a handful.  His big sister is not big enough to keep him from doing his “deeds” on her.  Alone, he’s a sweet little boy.  Mix him in with Rosie and Pepper and his spots seem to change right before your eyes.  It’s going to be an interesting week.  We did some more catching up with Whitney and her kids (we had met with them in early September in New York when we visited her daddy, our oldest).

Home Alone

Skyler went off to work.  Addey took the day off  and the girls all went to the D. I. store (Desaret Industries, sort of a Goodwill type store) in Rexburg to see what bargains they could drum up.  I was left home alone.  It sure was quiet.  I managed to finish Skyler’s laptop (updated it to Windows 10) then went to the local visitors center and dumped the RV’s waste tanks.  Just as we arrived in Ashton on Tuesday, the DEF warning light had come on, so I stopped at an auto parts store and bought a 2.5 gal jugs of it.  When I got home, Skyler was there, home from work.  He helped me park on the leveling blocks again and I topped off the DEF and fresh water.  Empty waste tanks, full fresh water tanks and DEF topped off.  We were set for a few more days.  When the girls got home Skyler and Millie cooked up some delicious chicken fajitas and that about finished off the day.  Millie took Joyce to her salon to cut her hair and give her a pedicure.  Addey drove them and Rosie went along for the ride.  Skyler and I watch The Bourne Identity and babysat Pennie.  Dollie (the dog) helped by keeping watch on Pennie in the bedroom.  She would come in and jump on Sky’s lap for a few minutes, only to return to the bedroom to resume her baby watch.  Good little watchdog.

After the girls got back home, Grandma Joyce was put in the hospital.

Kickin' Back

A lazy day.  We were pretty road weary, so we just stayed home and enjoyed the young’uns and visited.  Addey didn’t have to work until 4 pm.  I started in on Skyler’s new laptop trying to solve a problem he had with it.  Skyler got home from his new job as a juvenile boys correctional center instructor.  I can just here the boys calling out, “Toilet break, Boss?”  Oh, not really, but Skyler’s new job should be interesting for him…not to mention he will be getting a welcome pay check after a few years of stuffing college down his craw.  Anyway, after Skyler got home, Addey went to work waiting tables at Jud’s, a local restaurant.  So, we all packed up and went to Jud’s for a burger…and to pester Addey.

On the way back home, Skyler took us to watch a seed potato storing operation going on just up the road from their home.  Trucks coming in from the field would back up to a big chunk of machinery and dump potatoes into it.  The machine would spread the spuds out on a wide conveyor in a single layer so workers further down the conveyor could sort and pick out the dirt, rocks and bad spuds.  The conveyor then continued on to a second conveyor that would pile the spuds in a huge pile in a huge Quonset hut style building.  The potatoes raised here in the Ashton area are mainly raised as seed potatoes.  They are sold to wholesale potato farms who cut them up and plant them to raise potatoes for the market.  Since these were seed potatoes that would not be planted until next spring, they are stored over the winter to be sold in the spring.

Ashton Arrival

Stayed at a KOA just outside Red Lodge, MT.  It was an okay campground, but typical KOA over pricing, especially for a one night stand with electricity and water only.   It did have a nice doggy playground where dogs can be let off their leash for a while.  Of course, Ditto had to stop and crap right in front of the office before we got to the dog park.  I took her anyway and let her loose to read all the newspapers.  She walked nearly the entire perimeter of the park before a guy came with his huge dog.  The guy said his dog was still a pup and would not bother me or Ditto as he turned it loose, too.  Then a woman came up and turned loose her collie.  At first Ditto seem to think, “Oh boy!”, then as she approached the other dogs and saw their size, she had a change of heart and wanted to go home.

We got a fairly early start (for us) the next morning and headed on through Red Lodge and down the Bear Tooth Highway, U.S. Hwy 212.  We had come this way last summer, but from the opposite direction.  It was just as the big annual Bear Tooth motorcycle crush was going on and the highway was jammed with motorcycles from  Cody, WY up the Chief Joseph Highway and on up the Bear Tooth Highway into Red Lodge.  Red Lodge was spilling over with them (check the July 2014 timeframe on this blog).  It was different this time, though.  Red Lodge was nearly deserted and those that were there were mostly prepping for winter.  We took Hwy 212 on into Yellowstone Park via the northeast entrance.  This is a good time to visit Yellowstone as the summer vacation crowd is gone yet it is still not cold.  But, we were in a bit of a hurry to see Skyler and his little family, so we just cut through the park and exited at the West Yellowstone gate.  There we picked up Hwy 20 which took us the 70 miles or so on to Ashton, ID.  We pulled into their drive about 6 pm.

We parked up by the dog pen like we did the summer of 2014.  Skyler had upgraded his outbuildings by adding electrical power out there.  He plugged in a long heavy extension cord and we were set.  Our parking spot was even right next to his outdoor water faucet, to boot.  As we were setting up, out came little Rosie.  I don’t remember what she was wearing, but I don’t think it included shoes.  What a cutie she is.  We all went in and settled down for a pizza dinner and lots of catching up.  Besides Skyler, Millie, Rosie and the new to us baby Pennie, Skyler’s little sister Addey was there to contribute to the “catching up”.

I'm trying to catch up this blog after the hub-bub of visiting Skyler and gang.  There was too much going on for me to keep up the blog.  I have many photos I'd like to share, but still haven't downloaded from our cameras.  So, you might want to go back to this date (and the following days) on occasion to see if photos have been posted.  I'll try to remember to tell you when I've caught up.

Lunar Eclipse

First, I promised a few photos once I got them downloaded from my camera...if we had good Internet service tonight.  Well, we do, so here they are.

A shot of the road from Stanley down to Teddy Roosevelt NP.  It was heavy construction nearly all the way which is why we wound up staying at TRNP North instead of making it on down the the south park.

Then a shot of oil rigs pumping away.  There must have been hundreds of these things.  Actually, the road leaving Stanley had more than the area right around Stanley.

Taken in the North Teddy Roosevelt Park, the Little Missouri River and a CCC pavilion overlooking it.

A quickly fading sunset for the park.

The moon...just to prove there was one a few days before the eclipse.

Weird rock formation.  Could it be there was a graffiti artist there some time ago?

Someone knocked over the egg basket.

Teddy Roosevelt NP Badlands.

Park buffalo bison.  Before our visit was over we were surrounded by them after dark.  Kind of eerie watching dark hulking forms moving slowly in the moonlight.

Thousands of fat little prairie dogs put there just to make Ditto go crazy.

Another weird rock formation that caught Joyce's eye.

Today was a short travel day.  We drove maybe three hours.  Life is hard when retired.  We left Teddy Roosevelt NP South this morning just before noon.  As we headed out, we stopped to take on a load of fresh water and just beyond the watering hole was a herd of bison hanging out on and around the road.  A couple of campers on bicycles had stopped and eventually turned around.  The woman had noticed a couple of bison calves in the bunch and thought it might not be a good idea to get too close.  Joyce and I speculated the bison have been so close to so many humans in the park that a couple of cyclists would probably not be noticed.  But, better safe than sorry.

We have to eventually nose our way through the crowd to get out of the campground.  Then we headed for Medora, the little town just outside the park on I-94.  We had taken a quick look around when we had arrived yesterday, so we just drove on through the outskirts, stopping briefly at the site of a historical beef packing plant.  Oh joy.

We jumped on the Interstate and headed for Miles City where I had planned to stop for the night.  It was a short hop, but I wanted to get settled in early so I could get set up to photo the lunar eclipse this evening.

We nabbed a campsite at a clean little park called Big Sky RV Park.  After all, here we were in big sky country, so why not?  Of course, the fact that is was about the only thing around had something to do with it, too.

We got settled in and I took a nap.  No hurry, as it was early.  We ate supper and I watched a little TV (they have cable hookups here).  Watched the Pope leave...and watched the Pope leave...and watched the Pope leave.

I got a little nervous when I saw dark clouds beginning to drift in about dusk.  The eclipse was to start at 8:11 pm Mountain time.  Things were looking critical about 7 pm, but the clouds were moving quickly so maybe...

Maybe didn't happen.  I finally got my photo just as it began to sprinkle.

Regardless of the eclipse disappointment, if you have never visited Teddy Roosevelt National Park, I recommend it be added to your bucket list.  Joyce and I liked it about as much as The Grand Canyon.  It was nowhere near as crowded and the sights were beautiful, the critters great.  Of course, visiting in late September made a big difference in the visitor population, no doubt.