Visiting and Relaxing

Deer in downtown Red Lodge, MT.

I love being home. Mind you, don't mind being gone from home for work. Driving is fun and I get to see lots of places I'd never have gotten to otherwise. But on a day like this its great to be home. Its nearly 60 degrees outside, the sun is shining, the wind isn't blowing, and its just beautiful. And it's a huge plus that the meadowlarks are singing up a storm today. I'm inside and I can still hear them through the windows. I love the meadowlarks.

Visiting and Relaxing is what I've been doing these past few days.

Malcolm got home Tuesday evening in time to have dinner with Laura and I. We had a good time visiting and touring, but I know now how to advise my visitors, and that would be to tell them to wait to visit till May or June. Apparently Montana tourist season doesn't start till then, and many of the things we had hoped to see were closed, even in Billings. However, it was still fun to drive around, and I scoped some things out to go back and do with Malcolm, like drive down US 212 in the Jeep through the mountains this summer when it will be warm enough to take the top of the Jeep and all that. Sounds like fun and I can't wait.

This is what we did for three days.

Sunday we got up early and drove to Baker. Malcolm needed some parts to work on a tractor or something (I'm not sure. I just know he needed parts that I brought him.) It was strange that the ground was snow free, except for patches, all the way to Baker and even somewhat south of there. But it was not snow free at the ranch. They were still knee deep in it, except for where they had cleared it away. In those places they were knee deep in mud. We slopped around in the mud with them as they tagged some calves, and moved things around. Got to watch Malcolm's Dad pull a calf that just didn't want to come into the world fast enough, and Laura and I took a ride on the snowmobile.

Sunset over the ranch in Baker, MT.

Monday we slept in, then drove into Billings. Originally we had intended to go see the Pictograph Caves but the road out there was closed. We also wanted to go see the Western Heritage Center but it was closed till Thursday as they were setting up new exhibits, and the Moss Mansion was closed on Monday's. Perfect! So what we ended up doing was walking around the small shopping district of downtown Billings, visiting a very pretty Catholic Church (it was open and so we went in), eating lunch at a little place downtown, and then went to the River Walk area. Afterwards we swung by the grocery store and picked up some chicken, asparagus, zucchini, and squash as well as the fixings for strawberry shortcake, and then went home for an early evening of summertime food on the grill, relaxing, and a few minutes of riding the four-wheeler around the pasture.

Tuesday we drove to Red Lodge, MT where we shopped the cute little stores on Main Street, walked through the Art Guild, had lunch at Bridge Creek (Salmon Wrap and Orange Poppy seed Cole Slaw - YUMMY!), and then drove the 15 miles of US212 that were open, stopping along the way to take a few pictures, play in the snow, build a little snowman, and goof off. Let me tell you, its not easy to hike downhill through 5 inches of snow in "street shoes" without getting your feet wet. I had better luck than Laura. We were trying to get to a creek, but we abandoned that project without going all the way down. We were out there on 212 for probably an hour or more, and maybe saw three cars, and one hiker who stopped to take our picture for us. I'm sure they all thought we were crazy, but who cares.

Rush hour in Montana!

You can't read the sign but it says "Road Not Maintained Beyond This Point - Hazardous Conditions May Exhist - Avalanches, Rock Slides, Sudden Severe Storms." Apparently 212 crosses a mountain thats over 10,000 feet in elevation. I have GOT to go on that drive!

Tuesday night at home we grilled steaks and potatoes with Malcolm, relaxed and went to bed for some good sleep. We were all tired. And then Wednesday morning, after a rushed breakfast, we took Laura to the airport, getting her there with three whole minutes to spare. They practically carried her to the plane. Sorry Laura. Like you said, "Thankfully its a small airport."

Just been catching up on stuff the past two days. Malcolm's on his way home from an errand and I've been baking some cookies because when he gets home, we're going to the neighbors to say "thanks" one more time for saving me from falling apart in my "event" last Thursday. Cant' beleive its been an entire week already! That just occurred to me!

Malcolm's not said much of anything about it, nor has he been out there untangling the mess. I told him to let me know when he's ready to tackle it so I can help. He's not saying.

Don't know when we're returning to work. He talked to the office this morning and they said maybe this weekend, but things have been slow this week. We'll have to wait and see. In the mean time, I'm enjoying some spring weather (ignoring the fact that it was cold yesterday and even threw some snow showers at us) and being home. Hope you all get to do the same this weekend. And Happy Easter!