As protests against police continued in big cities as the only exceptions to COVID-19 lockdowns that improbably rolled into another month, California enterred our annual fire season with a heat wave.
The government ordered people to continue wearing masks and to stay indoors, while simultaneously demanding they stop using so much electricity, because "the train to nowhere" and other wacky pipedreams had taken priority over maintaining our aging power grid. And they said to stay away from public gathering spots like beaches.
Many rational people nonetheles left inland hotboxes to go to the beach, pitched umbrellas and dumped all their litter around themselves as a means of marking their socially-distanced piece of sand for Labor Day Weekend, or so we read in the newspaper.
Fortunately for us, Julie's sister Jacque and her husband Mike had long ago planned to visit us in Big Sky on the first week in September, so we hit the road for Montana once again just as the heat wave rolled into town.
We were greeted by ideal weather and clear blue skies, although a couple of natural wildfires had also broken out not far away and been allowed to burn, as has been the policy in Montana for decades. We enjoyed some great hikes in the daytime and re-runs of the TV show "Alias" starring young Jennifer Gardner and Bradley Cooper in the evenings as we awaited the arrival of Jacque and Mike. They first went to a fishing cabin on the Madison River where Mike as a boy had visited his uncle.
While his uncle long since sold the cabin and passed away, they found it available to rent and snagged it for three nights. Julie and I headed over there one afternoon to glimpse that piece of family history for ourselves. The cabin is located right on the river, allowing Jacque to sit on the porch and watch Mike toss a fishing line into the rapids for catch-and-release fun.
The Air BnB owners had left the cabin exactly as they bought it, including a stack of "Outdoor Life" magazines from as far back as 1975. That being one of the brands for which our daughter Amy is Online Director hit a special chord for us.
Mike had counted on his uncle's fly fishing gear being available, but he could never find the key to the locked storage shed. Nonetheless, he had brought his little lake fishing pole and managed to snag a few fish using live grasshoppers, which were plentiful around the cabin, as bait. We spent a little time catching grasshoppers, which was a challenge of its own.
I even made a few casts, not getting a bite. It was a hot day, so I meandered back to the cabin. Right after I left, Mike caught a big fish. Because this was catch and release, that wouldn't be lunch. We instead baked a Freschetta combo pizza that went well with our Gallatin Pale Ales.
Before they made it to Big Sky, Jacque and Mike also visited Yellowstone National Park, so in the mean time Julie and I concentrated on local pleasures. They did not arrived until Saturday and missed the weekly concert in the park that's a weekly highlight for us. Dan Henry put on an entertaining show on the porch outside Blue Buddha Sushi for a small crowd. We love being able to walk over to hear live music, even in the era of COVID-19, but I guess Jacque and Mike will have to come back another time to enjoy it themselves.
Jacque and Mike were the last of our siblings to come to Big Sky. They'd anticipated possibly golfing at the private club where my sister and her husband live. COVID-19 concerns for the membership that flies in regularly from around the world, however, had the golf course closed to visitors.
Mike also put his name in with the starter to give a call if someone cancelled. We were happily surprised to receive a phone call on Sunday afternoon that gave us a tee time. Julie rode around in a cart with me for the front nine, and while I had a lot of bad shots, I had enough good ones to keep my illusion that one day I might figure the game out alive. Jacque also had a less than memorable round, while Mike shot an 82. A nice guy named Bill who was a great golfer completed our foursome.
One night I made my Chicken Redondo and breaded zucchini meal that Julie and I have in our usual weekly rotation. I thought it turned out pretty good. Jacque asked for the simple recipe, so I linked it here.
We broke out Cardinale Mexican Train Dominoes, a game Jacque taught us years ago when our children were still kids. After a practice game during which we realized we were playing it all wrong, we started a long game to 500 that continued most of the evening.
When Monday arrived, Mike and Jacque passed on joining Julie and I on one of our favorite morning hikes up the Uplands Trail. They explained that they aren't big hikers or morning people. We nonetheless wanted to get going, because as mentioned before, a storm was rolling in. They went for a sight-seeing drive while we were gone.
Julie and I had an amazing panoramic view from the sunny hiking trail of the gray cloud rolling down the mountain like an invading cavalry. Sure enough, it snowed later that afternoon.
It wasn't just a smattering of snow, either. Big, fluffy flakes accumlated on the ground to make Labor Day in Big Sky a Winter Wonderland.
As big of a contrast as it was to playing golf under sunny skies the prior afternoon, it was even more of a contrast to Rancho San Diego, where Jacque and Mike have their home. Heavy smoke plumes from fires raging nearby prompted neighbors and children to call them and warn them of what seemed could be impending doom.
They had their daughter pick up a few valuables, including Jacque's car, but wisely decided there was really nothing else they could do should they drive back immediately. Long story short, their house survived as they made a leisurely drive back home.
At some point during their visit, Mike and Jacque were audience for one of my guitar sessions, and while my performance wasn't worthy of a standing ovation, at least they didn't run from the room in horror...or they didn't do it permanently anyway.
I have been playing the guitar about an hour each day during the shutdown. When I was younger, my guitar was a regular companion, but I had really given it up for the most part until I found myself with loads of free time on my hands. It's bringing me great pleasure.
They introduced us to "Eco-Challenge Fiji," which is sort of "The Amazing Race" on sterroids with super-athletic racers facing insane terrain challenges.
After Mike and Jacque hit the road for home, Julie and I made it up to Brooks and Darlene's home one more time. While we enjoyed a great Chinese dinner prepared by Darlene and interesting discussions by the fire pit, what set this visit apart was a power outage while we rode the gondola up to a hiking trail. After a 20 minute delay, we proceeded to do our hike with the assurance that the problem had been handled.
On other days, we continued our hiking and "Alias" regimen until an appointment we'd made months earlier to interview required us to drive back to California or re-schedule sometime in 2021.
Before we left, we had one last great Friday afternoon concert. Sundae and Mr. Goessl put on a unique show of songs from the early to mid 1900's.
With great musicianship and vocals peppered by funny patter between songs, it was very entertaining, so entertaining that I stayed until the end, which apparently wasn't what Julie had in mind, as it put behind her getting the dishwasher started and last minute packing.
In any case, we made the drive home over the course of Saturday, welcomed by smoky, orange-tinted skies.
Before Mike and Jacque Arrived
1 comment:
Beautiful pictures. Sounds like you guys had a great visit with siblings. It is certainly a wonderful place.
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