The week of September 12 through September 18: We move from our great spot at Seeley Lake, returning to Bass Creek in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana.
Cougar and Clifford back at Bass Creek
Living in a forest
We make a couple of trips to Missoula for errands and shopping, including picking up the new cell phone that I ordered. I am hoping that photos taken with the Moto Z2Play will make it easier to share photos via the net and cell service, since that is the primary way of sharing nowadays. I will be comparing photos taken with the cell and photos take with the little Canon. I see that many really outstanding photos are now being taken with cell phones, even by professional photographers. I have been reluctant to make a cell phone my primary means of taking photos, but it is certainly easier to carry a cell phone on a hike, which was a determining factor in putting my money toward a new cell phone (which I needed anyway) rather than a new camera.
Walkabout to try out the new cell phone camera
Hillside behind our campground
Morning light on wildfowers
Another
highlight of the week is a “sleepover” with my daughter Ang, with
steaks cooked over a big bonfire, and then spending the night in
Terry, our old camper that we gave to Ang when we got Cougar in
August. Morning coffee, time spent in the greenhouse, and working on
editing issues fill the next day before I return to our campground at
Bass Creek.
Sleepover with a bonfire
This
particular week culminates in another sibling/spouses gathering, this
time at brother Rollie’s campsite, also at Bass Creek, with
everyone bringing food for a potluck and a big campfire. Rollie and
I play a few bluegrass tunes, but mostly it is fun to be part of the
conversation and laughter as we listen to tales and almost tall-tales
of our growing up years. I sure do love this group of humans and am
so glad we had time together again before we go our separate ways.
Rollie will be leaving Montana in a couple of days; Clifford and I
will be leaving before the end of the month.
Monday September 10: I walk to the lake in the early morning, appreciating the peacefulness with the first light of day on the water. There are a couple of benches that provide places to sit or one can stroll along the beach or take the path through the woods along the lakeside. Over the course of our time here, I have done all of these. Back at camp, I make a campfire so I can continue to be outdoors.
Today Clifford and I
go for a drive to other campgrounds along the stretch of lakes in the
Seeley-Swan Valley. The campground at Lake Alva has numerous empty
spots, but no view of the lake that we can find. Lake Inez has some
camping spots along a road above the lake, but it is not a campground
and spots would soon fill, so we wouldn’t try to come here with the
camper.
Lake Inez
Autumn colors near Lake Alva
Back at Seeley Lake,
which we still like the best, at the suggestion of a friend, I do an
energy clearing ceremony, wading out in to the lake and letting bits
of bark and cones float away, representing a releasing of tension and
negative energy.
Back at Seeley Lake
In the later
afternoon, I finish reading the novel I had started before going to
Wallace. After dinner is the usual bedtime routine and it is always
surprising to me how long it takes to take care of all the loose ends
before getting into bed.
Tuesday September 11: I got up kind of late this morning, but walk down to the lake before breakfast anyway. I make my way toward the bridge and get several shots of the lily pads that line the bank there.
Lily pads along the lake shore
Back at the campsite, I visit our neighbor, Ana, an artist who is outside painting. She is an interesting woman and we have enjoyed our visits.
Today I take out the ¾ cello that I brought back with me from Wallace where it had been stored. At one time, I had hoped to play cello regularly as we camped, but cellos are too big to play indoors in an RV and often the weather is not suitable for playing outdoors. This one, even though not full-size, still takes up a lot of room. Being a rather inexpensive instrument, one I was willing to take camping, also means that it does not have great sound. I haven’t enjoyed playing it as much as I hoped I would, which is why it ended up being stored in Wallace. But now it is with me and we’ll see what happens next. I sort the rest of the stuff in my car, stuff that we brought back from the basement of my daughter’s house where we lived for about four years. Some of it is packed to go to a second-hand store in Stevensville, some will go back to Monticello with us, and sadly, some things just go in the dumpster.
Our last day at Seeley Lake
We pick up outside
stuff – chairs, tables, and such, as we will be leaving tomorrow.
It has been great being here, but I am also looking forward to going
back to Bass Creek so as to see more of my family before we begin the
journey south.
September 7 through 9 is a jam-packed three days of family gathering at the historic Jamison Hotel in historic Wallace, Idaho. Although the kitchen is too old-fashioned to be easy to use, the space in general is spacious and gracious, the bar quite spectacular, the bedrooms quaintly charming, and the basement reputed to be haunted.
Quaintly charming bedrooms
Gracious sitting areas
My daughter
Heading it up
The impressive Jamison Hotel bar
I tend to like things harmonious and organized, so the hubbub is a bit unsettling for me, but it certainly is interesting and lively.
My grand-daughter
My grandson and my daughter
Another daughter
My son and a friend of the family
A grandson watching the parade
Grandsons watching the parade
Grandson and granddaughter watching
My daughter – a drummer in the parade
More granddaughters
A fierce grandson
A grandson and his dad, my son
A family friend and another granddaughter
Grandson and his uncle
A MacDonald Family squinting in the sun for the photographer
A sketch by another daughter, a gift to the owners of the Jamison
The Wallace Gathering was quite amazing and I know I will miss seeing who is up and having coffee at the Wallace Coffee House when I get there, who wants to go to breakfast somewhere, who wants to run to the store or go shop browsing, and who is just hanging out sharing stories. Awesome group!
The setting of the sun
On my way back to Seeley Lake, I stop to take photos of a beautiful sunset and reach camp after dark, happy to be back in my own space with Clifford and Cougar
Wednesday September 4: The night was chilly and autumn colors are becoming more pronounced. After a morning walk along the lake, it is warm enough to sit in the sunshine to write in the journal and send pics to my family.
Morning walk by the lake
My daughter Katie calls to see if I will come to the sibling and friends gathering in Wallace, Idaho. I had thought I would not go, but it is worked out for me to meet up with my daughter Ang and her friend Rama to ride partway with them. It will be good to see kids and grandkids that I might not otherwise get to see on our travels.
Autumn Colors
In the afternoon, I continue with editing Ang’s book Princes and Priests. Later, Clifford and I go to the laundromat in the town of Seeley Lake. After the baskets of clean clothes are loaded in the Suburban, we cross the highway to the gift shop for a really good ice cream cone. Back at camp, after dinner and cleanup, we both read/study until bedtime.
Wednesday September 5: Clifford is up earlier today, so I sit out in the morning sunshine to chat with him and then we tend to some CI email. For both of us, it is a day of our usual activities: Clifford works on the CI Legacy Project, plays his dulcimer, and listens to his ham radio; I edit, write blogs, play viola, and read. Dinner is simple and we are happy being here.
Sundown at Seeley Lake Campground
Thursday September 6: This morning I make a campfire instead of going down to the lake. Nice to sit here with my coffee and journal.
Campfire, coffee, and journal
After breakfast I pack a bag to take to Wallace. As I’m getting my car tidied up, I meet the neighbor across the road, an artist currently living in a tent as she does large colorful lively paintings out in the open. She is quite an interesting and friendly woman, with a great idea for a foundation to help other artists.
Stormy wind ruffles the water
I do my walkabout
this afternoon as a storm is moving in with a bit of a rainbow. By
time I get to a spot clear enough to get a shot of it, the rainbow
has faded, but it was still exciting to see.
The fading rainbow
Breakfast burritos for dinner and then I tidy up our cozy space before heading to bed.
Friday
August 31: My brother Rollie and I are up early and make coffee in
his motor home here in Sun River, Montana, before we start packing up
for the return trip over the mountain and back to the campground at
Seeley Lake. My son Matt joins us for breakfast and we say our
good-byes. It was a good visit and I’m glad we had time for fishing
ventures yesterday, as well as sharing meals and chatting.
It is a windy drive back to Seeley Lake, not only across the prairie foothills on the east face of the Rockies, which is usually windy, but even into the mountains. It makes the journey back harder for the Rollie and the motor home.
East Face of the Rockies with mountains in the distance
Approaching the MIddle Fork of the Dearborn River Crossing
Rocky Mountains of Montana where prairie meets mountains
We arrive safely at the Seeley Lake Campground in time for me to make lunch for the three of us (Clifford had stayed to hold down the fort – Cougar).
Return to Seeley Lake Campground
We
make a campfire, and Rollie and I play some bluegrass tunes. Dinner
is a left-over baked trout, as good as the one we shared with family
at dinner last night in Sun River. It was a good trip, but I am glad
to be back to our campsite with Clifford and Cougar.
Thursday August 30: Today will be the fishing day on the Sun River, but to start the morning, my brother Rollie and I have coffee in his motor home, parked in the town of Sun River, Montana. About a mile from here is the farm where I raised my family, and this little town was where my kids went to school and where some friends from those days still live. This area was my home for twenty years, and my son Matt and his kids still live here. Sun River has become more and more run down in the twenty years plus years since then, partly due to laws that limit rebuilding after flood damage. It is sad to see.
Matt and his friend Lexie join Rollie and me for breakfast in the motor home and we make our plans for the fishing trip. Rocky Reef on the Sun River will be our destination. We decide to forego a picnic and will just return to the motor home for lunch when everyone gets hungry.
Sun River upstream from Rocky Reef
Rocky Reef is a rock formation that juts out into the river creating a deep pool at its base. Although the river is low this year, the pool remains deep. While the other three – Matt, Rollie, and Lexie – fish, I wander the banks and climb the rock formation to take photos.
Downstream looking toward Rocky Reef
The fishermen fishing at Rocky Reef
Sun River looking downstream from Rocky Reef
Sun River looking upstream from Rocky Reef
Rollie and Ninja catching fish
Rollie, Matt, and Pandora fishing
Rollie on the bank below Rocky Reef
Matt catches fish
Matt is an outstanding fisherman and he is the only one who catches fish. Three good-size trout will make a tasty dinner tonight.
Saying good-bye to the Sun River at Rocky Reef for now
After meeting Matt’s
boss (Matt works near here and his boss let him have the day off for
my visit), we head on back to the motor home for lunch. The
fishermen will try a different fishing hole this afternoon, and a
decision is made to just walk down to the river from here rather than
driving somewhere else.
Matt and his chainsaw angel
Pandora, Matt, Angel, Carol
Rollie, Matt, Angel, Carol
Back at the river,
fishing continues. Rollie has to catch his hat after it blows into
the river and I stack rocks to amuse myself before heading back to
the motor home.
Fishing for a run-away hat
In the early
evening, my grand-daughter Aurora and her friend Alex come join the
rest of us for baked trout dinner. As dinner is cooking, Rollie and
I play a few of our bluegrass tunes for them, and after dinner we
make tea and chat until late.
Grand-daughter Aurora; Son Matt, Aurora’s friend Alex, Carol, Brother Rollie
It was a good visit.
Tomorrow Rollie and I will head back to Seeley Lake.
Wednesday August 29: Early morning at the Seeley Lake Campground in the Seeley-Swan Valley of western Montana, I go down to the lake to take photos in the mist. The ambiance of mist and fog appeals to me.
Trees in the mist
Misty morning at Seeley Lake
I fix yogurt and fruit for Clifford and myself, make coffee for the thermos, pack a little bag of clothes, and wait for my brother Rollie to arrive with his motor home. He and I are going together to Sun River on the other side of the mountain from the Seeley-Swan Valley where this campground is located. Clifford will be staying at the campsite with Cougar, holding down the fort, so to speak.
Riding in the front of a class-A motor home is quite the vantage point for seeing the scenery, but it feels like a long drive from Seeley Lake to Sun River. There is certainly a lot of variety in the landscape and I especially enjoy seeing the rivers, something that I miss living in Utah.
Another lake in the chain of lakes in the Seeley-Swan Valley
Island in a lake in the Seeley-Swan Valley
Blackfoot River
Blackfoot River
Blackfoot River
Blackfoot River
Blackfoot River
Middle Fork Dearborn River
Although I grew up in western Montana, I also lived within view of Crown view for twenty years, so there is a familiarity with seeing the scenes from the east face of the Rockies.
Birdtail Rock, the icon of the Birdtail Hills – East face of the Rockies
Crown Butte – East face of the Rockies
Once we arrive in
Sun River, we find Matt and a fishing buddy, Lexie. It is good to
see him. After Rollie gets the motor home set up, we all walk down
to the river just to see the river. Tomorrow will be the fishing
day.
On the bank of the Sun River
I make dinner for
all of us in the motor home and we visit until late. Rollie’s
couch is my bed tonight.
Saturday August 25: Mostly sunny this morning and I sit outside for my quiet time. Have a good chat with my son Matt when I call to wish him happy birthday.
My daughter Merri
comes out to have lunch with us. She brings some fresh produce and
we make a good tasty lunch, eating out in the screen house.
Merri comes to Cabin City
After Merri heads
home, I play viola and read. Nice day except for the mouse we found
bumbling about near the steps. Mice are bad enough, but have to
wonder if this one has rabies or is somehow demented. Creepy.
Sunday August 26: Today Clifford and I go to Wallace again, as we have to get more stuff out of my daughter Katie’s basement.
Light rain as we head to Wallace
We visit with her a bit and great to see the grandkids for a minute. Then Clifford and I load my car as full as we can get it. We are back at camp in time for a late lunch. The evening is dinner, dishes, and reading for me, while Clifford works on his projects. We run out of propane in the night, which is inconvenient, and catch four more mice, which is totally creepy.
Cougar window adornments
Monday August 27: We start packing as soon as we are up, as we are leaving today. No showers or breakfast or hot tea, since we are out of propane. We are on our way about 11:00 a.m. and once we arrive in Missoula, we go to Cracker Barrel for lunch, Bretz RV for propane, Barnes&Noble for the bookstore fix and a latte, and on to the Walmart parking lot where we replenish supplies and spend the night.
New tea kettle for Cougar
Tuesday August 28: Since we have two vehicles – my car and Suburban towing Cougar – we leave Suburban and Cougar at Walmart and take my car to a music store in Missoula. I want to get a shoulder rest, but when we get there, the fellow working there doesn’t know how shoulder rests work, so he is no help to me. Instead, I end up with a shaped sponge, which I hope will help with holding the viola properly. It beats me how a city the size of Missoula, a university town with a good music department, does not have a properly stocked music store with knowledgeable clerks.
Back at Walmart, we
finish our shopping and then head out of Missoula, stopping at Bonner
for gas. Heading north on highway 200 to the Clearwater junction, we
then wind our way up the Swan Valley to the Seeley Lake Campground.
We find a roomy spot near where we were last year, but with more of a
view of the lake.
View from our campsite at Seeley Lake Campground
Seeley Lake
After we get set up,
I walk down to the lake, taking photos to share with family, while
Clifford gets his ham radio antennas up. It is so great to be here!
After a simple dinner, Clifford continues adjusting his radio gear
and I read until heading to bed.
Saturday August 18: It is less smokey this morning and very pleasant sitting outside writing in the journal.
Later, when the
temperatures warm up and the flies become bothersome, we set up the
screen house over the picnic table, giving us place to eat, write,
and play music without the pesky flies.
Sunday August 19: A walk in the forest is a lovely quiet time for me this morning.
A quiet walk in the forest
In general, the day has the usual things going on: writing, reading, editing for daughter Ang, and taking photos (Carol); ham radio and CI Legacy Project (Clifford), with the addition of being stung by a wasp (Carol) and going bike riding around the two loops of the campground (both of us).
Monday August 20: It is hard to tell overcast from smoke haze this morning. In spite of the somewhat dreary sky, I walk around both loops of the campground. We are the only people here; even the hosts are gone.
Smokey morning walk
In the afternoon,
there is a knock on the door and we are surprised to see my son Saul.
We invite him in and I make tea for the three of us. He is headed to
an organic farm and has stopped here to spend the night. We have a
nice visit and after he gets his camp set up, he joins us for dinner.
Since he travels a lot, we get out the atlas and share thoughts about
where he and we have been and where we all might be going in the
future. Maybe our paths will cross again.
Late afternoon light at our campsite at Cabin City
Tuesday August 21: I walk about taking photos in the mist this morning. Then we invite Saul for breakfast and chat a bit more before he heads out.
Walking in the mist
Today I am going to Wallace to visit Katie and her family. Katie, her daughter Justice, her mother-in-law Sue, and I go to lunch. Really nice to visit with all of them. Being in Wallace also gives me a chance to go to the laundromat, my favorite second-hand store, and the market before I drive back over the mountain for a late dinner with Clifford.
Katie and Jeremy at the Wallace Coffee House
Wednesday August 22: After my morning quiet time and breakfast with Clifford, I start cleaning out my car. Katie needs to have our remaining stuff moved out of her basement, so yesterday I put as much as I could into my car. It it is too much to take back to Monticello, so I will be sorting and getting rid of books and other items. I find it hard to get rid of books, but in reality, it is not likely I will ever have time to read all of them.
Later, Clifford and
I work on the back-up camera issue and find a spot where we can put
the receiver (adhered to an aluminum pizza plate stuck in the
bathroom door) so that the signal carries all the way from the back
of Cougar to the monitor on the Suburban dashboard. It takes a bit of
jury-rigging, but it works.
Afghan for great-grandson Oliver
I finish the knit afghan for the newest member of the family, great-grandson Oliver. Bicycle, dinner, viola practice, and reading complete the day for me. Clifford continues with his projects and is up until the wee hours, as is normal for him.
Thursday August 23: It is smokey again and we have caught another mouse. Did it come with us from Bass Creek or are the mice a problem here? When camp host Susi comes around, I ask her about the mice and it does appear they have been a problem the last couple of years.
Smokey drive
Today Clifford and I go to St. Regis again, as there is wifi at the Visitors’ Center. I send the completed Princes and Priests synopsis to Ang, while Clifford downloads a big music file. We have lunch at a cafe here, but it is not nearly as good as the meal we had at the $50,000 Bar&Grill earlier in the week.
In the evening, I
make plans with Rollie regarding a trip to Sun River (near Great
Falls, Montana) to visit my son Matt. Clifford will stay with Cougar
at Cabin City.
Friday August 24: I make coffee and sit outside for awhile before getting ready for our trip to Couer d Alene. I have another doctor checkup, and once that is finished, we run errands in CdA.
Smokey Couer d Alene Lake
On the way back to our campground, we stop in Wallace so Clifford can help make decisions about what to do with the rest of our stuff in Katie’s basement. We fit what we can into my car and the rest will be given away. Katie is cooking steaks on an outdoor grill, but due to the lateness of the hour, we have to head back to camp rather than staying for dinner. She sends a juicy steak home with us, which we thoroughly enjoy.
Tuesday August 14: Today is moving day. Although we like where we are at Bass Creek Recreation Area in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana, we are heading to Cabin City, a campground on the Montana side of Lookout Pass. This will allow visiting with my daughter Katie and her family in Wallace, Idaho, without pulling Cougar over the pass.
Forest fire smoke as we drive from the Bitterroot Valley to Cabin City
When we arrive at Cabin City, there is almost no one there, but the spot we would have chosen is already taken. Oh well, that is the way it goes sometimes. We pick another nearby spot that will allow both shade for the RV and access to the sunshine for the solar panels, a bit of a challenge in this forested campground.
Forest setting for Cougar
After we get set up,
we have tuna sandwiches for lunch and proceed with our usual
activities. In the evening, the hosts, Susi and Tom, come around and
we chat with them for awhile. We met them here a couple of years ago
and discovered at that time that Susi is the youngest sister of a
really good friend of mine from high school days. “Small world….”
Wednesday August 15: Pretty light on the forest this morning, in spite of the forest fire smoke.
Morning light at Cabin City
Today we are going to Wallace to visit Katie and her family; my son Saul is there, also, doing some work for Katie. My wellness visit is in Kellogg, just 12 miles down the road. The doctor at the clinic there was my doctor when we lived in Wallace and I still want to see her, but it will be the last time, as she is moving to Texas and I am one of her last patients in Idaho.
Forest fire smoke extends into Idaho
Saul house painting in Wallace
After the doctor visit, Clifford and I go to dinner with Katie and her friends. There are several conversations going on at once, so it is hard to talk to Katie to see how she and her family are doing. We’ll be back next week, so will visit more with her then. It is late by time we get back to Cabin City, but I read until midnight before heading to bed. Clifford, as usual, stays up with his projects until the wee hours.
Thursday August 16: Today we take care of the mail that we picked up in Wallace yesterday, having forwarded it there. Later, we make a trip to post office in St. Regis, the nearest town with a post office, and then dinner at the famous $50,000 Bar & Grill at the nearby Haugan exit. The food is plentiful and the gift shop has lots of fun stuff. I buy a top for myself and a T-shirt for Clifford, kind of a splurge, but worth it.
Driving by the “Moose Pond”
Back at camp, I walk about taking photos and then read most of the afternoon. While it might not be the most productive way to spend time, it good that I have the option to do just that.
