I'll tell you what, it is hard to go back to work after a week off.
I drove to
Bozeman on a Tuesday after dropping the cat off in
Lolo after a three hour drive.
Ok, a cat in a little cage for three hours is something in itself...there was a good 45 minutes in there that she was quiet....meow meow
HOWWWWL. I wanted to leave her on the side of the road.
But I got to Bozo and my sister and I poked around for a bit and then got a bite. I took off when she went to work and arrived in Custer at about 1600. The way east from I90 from
Moorcroft to Custer is a rough road, combine that with 20 to 30 mile an hour crosswinds and rain...you have yourself a good time!
I got to Thayne's house and threw my keys in the yard. He laughed and said, "Um, hey, would you like a beer?" Of course. It was very neat. I haven't seen these folks in what turned out to be four years and we picked up like we had only been apart for a month. These are definitely friends to rely on.
I'm going to make this pretty short though, since I could go on and on. First night I was there we went out to eat. I ordered an elk steak that on the menu said "Herb rubbed." I told the waitress to keep Herb away from my meat, since I didn't want him rubbing it. She looked at me like I was crazy and the table erupted in laughter. She finally got it and just shook her head. (Andy, Thayne's friend, ended up getting her fired that night...it was interesting.)
Backing up, I ran over a bird on my way to
Lolo. The swallows are out in force around bridges...it's like dodging flak! Well this thing was sure to connect with my grill, but I didn't hear a thump. I thought this was odd so studied the rear-view. This little bird had flown under my truck and when it hit the slip stream, it tumbled! I could see it rolling and faltering in the air, then it set its wings and flew off. I was very impressed!
Ok, back to S.D. On Thursday Terry and I went antler hunting. We made our way to the "
trailhead" on 4-wheelers and then went on what turned into a 4 hour walk. I was staring at the rocks, trees, hills, old farmhouses, and whatnot and she would pipe up and say, "there's an antler." (So casual.) I'd pop out of the dreamland, shut my jaw, and say, "Huh." This happened again in that four hours. I was so infatuated with the scenery, I wasn't paying attention to what we were there for.
I love the Black Hills. Open
Ponderosa forests with fields, rock outcroppings, and little or no underbrush. It makes you think of turkey, elk, and deer. Makes you think of rock-climbing and exploring. The history there is
impeccable, so much went on it makes it hard to concentrate.
We went to
Amoco, drank beer, and watched others gamble. Yes, a gas station.
On Friday there was a rehearsal, so we went fishing for a couple hours. Nothing. I decided not to go to the rehearsal and went back out fishing where I managed to catch a small perch. I could see the large trout in the lake, but it was too windy. We ended up at a ranch where this fella put on a cowboy cookout for the wedding party entirely on the campfire in cast iron kettles and a grill. Nothing like that kind of warm food in a cold wind! Everyone had a good time.
On Saturday, the day of the wedding, I went to Rapid City to meet up with Nicole and Dustin, old friends from
Missoula. The groom went golfing. It was a good trip though, we ended up in Deadwood and then on through to Spearfish...seeing some falls and overlooks along the way. A lunch in Lead and a lot of
curiosity later, I was back in Custer getting ready for the wedding. I "ironed" my shirt by hanging it in the shower that you have to turn the hot water on with pliers. Made it to the wedding in time to sit with a teacher that taught Thayne's grandmother, mother, and him. It's a great little town.
The wedding was a half hour and they all retired to the VFW for the reception. Nicole and Dustin came down to camp, so I opted out and had pizza with them instead. Later, I returned to Thayne and Terry's house to take care of their annoying dog and cat. (All very young and
jubilant.)
I left at 0600 the next morning. Antelope everywhere in Wyoming! Plus the grass was all young, so it looked like it was a lawn. Gorgeous gorgeous country. I could live out there. I made it to
Bozeman at 1330 and decided to push through. (At some time in your life, make sure you go past Livingston on your way to Billings...you can see the Crazy, Tobacco, Bridger, and
Beartooth mountains. Simply amazing.) I hit rain in
Drummond and that continued to
Lolo. I hung out with the folks for a bit and then collected up the cat and left. Made it back to
CDA at 2000 even. That left me with Monday to get my shit together before work started again.
It was a perfect trip and a perfect drive. It cost a little bit in preparation and gas, but it was very well worth it. Like I said before, when you are on the road, everywhere is home. It is very comforting and uneasy at the same time, but it is just exactly what you need to do once in awhile. It makes it nice to come home.
Having troubles with photos..I guess those come later.
