We had a really neat weekend. First we loaded in Blackfoot, ID on Friday morning. The load was bound for Minnesota, roughtly a 1100 mile trip, but we had almost three days to do it in.
After stopping in Idaho Falls to eat, I got to drive my old route up Hwy 20 past the Three Tetons, and into the Yellowstone area. The road I usually took through Yellowstone was closed to truck traffic, but I used to drive the road they detoured us on as well. It cuts west from the state line through Ennis, MT. Its a really beautiful drive. Well, I couldn't see much of the scenery because I ran into the middle of one of those violent Montana mountain storms. I'm talking about horizontal rain, wind pushing the truck onto the shoulder, and 1/4 mile visabilty. Surprisingly Malcolm slept through the whole thing despite the wind slamming the rain into the side of the truck that his head was nearest. Also, the dowpour lasted about 15 miles, and even when it let up, the wind blew like a tornado for about 2o miles past that. It was exciting. I love storms...even when I'm driving.
We stopped in Billings that evening and spent the night with our friend, Brandon and Jessica. We had planned to leave Saturday afternoon and take our time getting to Minnesota, but the Montana State Fair was going on in Billings. Every night there is a different performance, and Brandon and Jessica had two extra tickets because her parents wern't able to go. So we went with them to see Bill Engvall, the Blue Color Comedy team member (you know..Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and that crew...). We had isle 10 floor seats...real close...which was cool. There is one disadvantage to floor seats at Montana concerts.....COWBOY HATS! They are not easy to see around!
Afterwards we wondered around the fair. It was really neat. Totally the traditional fair, and we did the real thing...you know....footlong corndogs, funnel cake, and the giant ferris wheel? Well we didn't ride the ferris wheel, but I took a few pictures with the cell phone. The lights of all the rides were so neat, and all the food smells mixed with the livestock smells......very much the traditional fair.
There were also many different exhibits that we didn't walk through, many being closed, and also being limited on time. And if we had gone during the day, we would have seen the different livestock judgings, etc.
The Montana State Fair is a week long event. Saturday night was just the second night, so there was going to be stuff to see all week. I wanted to stay so bad. Next year we're going! You know who I missed seeing? Sugarland was Sunday nights performance!!!! Arg...as Charlie Brown would say!
Oh well....we were going to leave Sunday morning bright and early, but we ended up staying around till noon, watching CSI, one of my favorite shows, and Malcolm and Brandon were doing the "guy" thing.
Got to be in Shakopee, MN first thing in the morning to get unloaded and then get our next load, so it looks like a late night. And of course, as tired as we are from all the excitement this weekend, neither of us can sleep because we both have a lot on our minds and all that usual stuff that keeps you up when you really ought to be asleep. Soooo....
Anyway, the fair was really neat, and I can't wait to go next year. Also next weekend in Huntley, eat of Billings, there is an old fashioned Threshing Bee where they have competitions and exhibitions of threshing with old and new equipment. We wanted to go to that too, infact were planning to take time off for it, but have now decided to stay on the road a little longer.
When you all come to visit us, maybe we can plan some visits around fair time, and the threshing bee which is an annual thing.
2 comments:
How much fun! I love the thought of a traditional fair! As I was reading I was actually thinking, that would be a good time to visit! lol. :-) What a great weekend!
How cool!! We have to go when we get to come visit you :)
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