We're back !!! We found electrons......

We're in Libby, MT, parked on a side stree,t piggybacking on the wireless network of the Evergreen Motel. Here's a few days musings.....

07-15-2010 Thursday PM (1515 trip miles)

Frank: Greetings from Marion, MT., (aka Farkletown, MT) about 70 miles east of Libby, MT. We’re in the Moose Dropping . . . err . . . Moose Crossing RV (aka Farkletown RV) Park. It’s 9PM and we just got here. The old “In the park before dark” admonition just didn’t work out today. We didn’t see more than 4 or 5 RV parks since we left Helena and all of those were stealth parks tucked out of sight off the road with small non-descript signs that said, “You have just missed our RV Park and there’s no place to turn around for the next bazillion miles, ha, ha, ha!” We only found this place because gas stations are even more scarce than RV parks so we stopped at a little 2-pump Farklegas station and paid a bazillion dollars a gallon to bring the fuel gauge to up above the bone dry and dying level. I took a chance and asked the attendant if there was an RV Park anywhere around and he pulled the piece of straw out of his mouth, spat a stream of tobacco, scratched his ass and said, “yup, they’s one about half a mile down yonder.” Since we were heading yonder direction we put the truck in go-slow and crept past the “You just missed another one . .” sign and snuck up to the office before they had a chance to lock the door. So here we sit, in the woods, on top of a mountain with 4-engine mosquitoes pounding at the screens. Boy, it don’t get no better than this!

07-15-2010 Thursday

The two-hour Brewery Follies at the Brewery in Virginia City yesterday afternoon lived up to its billing with off-color jokes and insults for almost every political and ethnic group. We sat in the front row and became part of the show as the four actors launched themselves into the audience. The poor guy on my left got most of the attention and the actors gave tribute to his good humor at the close of the performance. Frank had a long-legged gal perched on his lap singing a song for awhile and during the second act I became part of a Tom Jones parody. One of the actors reminded us strongly of Steve Martin, and he nailed every impression he attempted like Lawrence Welk and Mr. Rogers, Bill Cosby among many. One of the gals did Sarah Palin to a T. We both had a great time and laughed our heads off. All the comedy routines were new to us, funny, both bright and bawdy, and exceptionally well performed. We’d also love to see the other troop of actors, who do the night show at 8:00 p.m. We’ve come to love the Madison River Valley and hope to return to see them another day. We didn’t hook up with our friends yesterday, but had coffee in a sweet cowboy coffee shop with them this morning before leaving town. We brought Brewery Follies beer glasses for them, and they gave us a bag of their favorite paperbacks to read on the trip. Thanks so much Pam and Rick for your Montana hospitality. I’m writing this around noon in a Wall Mart parking lot in Helena, MT, while Frank shops for various goodies. Still no electrons through our Cricket Internet connection so looks like email and blogging will have to wait yet again for another venue.

07-14-2010 Wednesday – Virginia City – Nevada City – Brewery Gulch Players
Cheryl: Today we slept late – ha! – I was walking the dogs at 6:30 a.m. However we did a slow “get-going,” and then drove the curvy road up to Virginia City where we got some smashed pennies for Frank’s grandchildren and some “not so very good” pizza for lunch. Then we drove a few more miles north to Nevada City where the smashed penny machine was broken, and Cheryl ate lunch having refused the heat-lamp pizza offered earlier. Since we’ve been here before, we skipped the tourist scene and drove up to boot hill and then the Nevada City Cemetery to read tombstones, exclaiming over the number of little ones who died in the 1800s. One family had three children buried there. After that sobering journey, we decided to book seats for some entertainment at 4:00 p.m. at the Brewery. The show is billed as a raucous “Saturday Night Live” performance where children must be counseled and adults arrive with a thick skin and a good sense of humor. More on the quality of the performance later when we have electrons to post our recent missives.
Thursday we plan to drive toward Washington taking the scenic route all the way from Ennis and crossing at (Oroville) a different place than we originally planned. We won’t make it to the boarder tomorrow (only to Kalispell, Idaho), and we’re planning to skip Spokane altogether. How’s that for “seat of the pants” planning! It will be great to stay off the boring freeway and see some pretty country on our way, and we have plenty of time to make our July 18th crossing.

Keep forgetting to tell you that way back in Utah we saw signs similar to the old Burma Shave jingles that read, “We played marbles We climbed trees
Today all the kids Need batteries.”

07-13-2010 Tuesday – Idaho to Montana

Cheryl: We enjoyed the exhibits and video at the Idaho Falls museum and learned that dogs evolved from wolves who began eating from the leftovers near the communities where humans settled. Those dogs fearless enough to come close to the humans got the most food, lost their fear of humans, flourished and reproduced producing over time domestic dogs whose DNA altered into various breeds hardly recognizable as descendants of wolves. As humans learned to use dogs to hunt for game and keep communities free from vermin, characteristics of the breeds altered to adapt to the best attributes for the tasks at hand. This traveling exhibit also had a set of “dog ears” to let us hear what dogs hear. We put our heads between the 18 inch tall fiberglass ears, and rotated. We could hear the sounds of termites in a case about 20 feet away from where the “dog ears” were stationed. Listening with human ears, we couldn’t hear a thing. The other exhibits told the history of Idaho and old panoramic photos showed the length of the half mile long Idaho Falls. While the falls are extremely wide, making their way through the center of town, they are not very high. A grassy park full of flowers extends the length of the falls from the central bridge along the river. A paved path gives tourists, bicyclists and joggers a place to enjoy the view of a stark white Mormon Temple rising above the river. We’ll include a picture here as I’m sure my words haven’t described it to your satisfaction.

We haven’t found any electrons to post our blog so I’m writing this on Wednesday morning. This morning we had French toast rustled up by Chef F. Del Monte and made from cinnamon bread purchased in Historic Old Town Pocatello, Idaho. We’re nestled into our favorite Ennis RV Park, surrounded by snow-topped mountains and green valleys cut through by trout-filled rivers. We met our friends, Pam and Richard, last night for dinner in Virginia City about 15 miles northwest of Ennis. The food was excellent and the conversation even better. After dinner we strolled along the boardwalk of this old western town and ducked into a store with racks of clothes newly sewn from Vintage patterns. There were vests and top hats for men and long dresses with tiny buttons, wide-brimmed hats and button up shoes for women. Pam and I fell in love with the delicate fringed capes made in China, but looking just right for the local dance hall. There were also handmade fans of lace and feathers perfect for flirting with cowboys. A good time was had by all, and it was still light outside at 9:30 p.m. when we arrived back at the trailer. It’s amazing how long the days are here in the upper Northwest.

So long until we can find some electrons to post this and Wednesday’s adventures yet to come.

Love from the Long Branch,
Matt, Miss Kitty, and Festus and Docett, the Gunsmoke puppies