While sipping wine on our porch, I noticed our new neighbors across the road had Wyoming plates on the truck in their driveway and asked if they were from there. The young 20-something guy who is construction worker said he wasn't, but his roommate was.
He introduced himself as Travis and said his puppy was named Arya. "Like from Game of Thrones?" I asked. He smiled and said exactly. We discussed the ending of that show for a bit.
Interestingly (to me at least), while his roommate was the one from Wyoming, Travis was from Kalispell, Montana, which happened to be the hometown of my barracks roommate and friend, Ricky D, when we were stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
The first time I visited Montana as an adult was on a road trip with Ricky D to visit his family.
I still remember seeing hundreds of white tail deer running across the road in Wyoming, and both elk and long-horned rams improbably high up a cliff side where craggy rock broke the tree lines.
Back to our current trip, on Thursday morning we hiked on Yellow Mules Trail past Ousel Falls Waterfall in the morning.
Back to our current trip, on Thursday morning we hiked on Yellow Mules Trail past Ousel Falls Waterfall in the morning.
At around 5 PM that same day, it started snowing, so we figured the open-air concert in the park that night might be cancelled.
When I opened the front door, however, I could hear Damnit Lauren and the Well (a local band) playing live from the park, so we bundled up and headed on over.
After intermission, the headliners, Superbirds, looking noticeably cold as natives of Georgia, came out playing enthusiastically. After a couple of songs, their lead singer looked around and said they weren't sure anyone would be there, but Montanans must be bad-ass.
That, of course, elicited a cheer from the local crowd.
He said, "Y'all are like, just a little summer snow. No biggie."
It wasn't the best concert we've ever seen here, but it will be one of the most memorable, with giant snowflakes wafting down. This linked facebook video Julie made might work, if you want a taste of what it was like. The crowd wasn't as big as the last couple of years, but we've seen fewer people at a show.
The next morning brought the first day of summer. We awoke to a winter wonderland, with snow-flocked trees on the hillside all around us. Believing trails might be on the muddy side, we took more of a walk than a hike along the golf course, where the natural fertilizers kept the grass warm and green while in the distance, the ski runs looked like they could be open for business. To paraphrase what Julie said in facebook, "Should we golf or ski?"
That same evening, there was a party for the grand opening of the Wilson Hotel, and by then it was sunny but still a bit cool. The Wilson provided free wine and beer outdoors, with a great classic rock cover band playing by the new park area. Indoors, a wider variety of free beverages, including Margaritas, awaited. I switched from my Bordeaux wine to Beehive Basin Cream Ale.
There were also some delicious snacks. I snagged a savory fish sandwich as the server left the kitchen. Julie managed to grab a little dish of mashed potatoes with beef before the other guests ascended like locusts on the free food. I don't think the servers ever made it much past the kitchen door with their trays that oddly carried only about a half dozen items at a time.
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| A bit of quiet poolside at the Wilson Hotel Soiree. |
On Sunday when we went to Soldier's Chapel on the third day of summer, there was still a distinct chill in the air.
The photos above are from Julie's phone, and the ones below are the ones from my phone during our seven days in Montana, in chronological order, beginning with a gorgeous late spring walk to the Country Store for groceries before winter knocked on the day before summer officially began.
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| Home On the Range |
And two more photos from Julie from our Swan Creek hike
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| Beaver Lodge |
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