We made another trip to the lake this week. Hebgen Lake proper, this time, not it's 'arm'.

We tried a different dirt road which turned out to be much better than the previous one!

 

 

 

 

It looks like there are some easy to approach 'fishing holes' where you can fish of the shore or a dock so we'll go back next week to try them out.

 

 

Last Saturday was 'Music in the Park'- night in West Yellowstone. Since it had a country/folk theme we dressed the part again!

I'd packed a picnic but somehow forgot to bring the chicken. The good thing was that there was a KFC right behind us so we got us a few pieces as a substitute. The bad thing was that, as has been my experience previously, their chicken was greasy, tough and mostly breading :(

Oh well...

 

 

 

 

 

We'd arrived early to get a good spot (and have dinner) but to our astonishment we were almost the first ones to show up! It wasn't until the first band was good and well underway that a handful of other people showed and even when the second band started playing at 8pm only a small crowd had gathered.

 

 

 

So Weird! We've attended quite a few of these open-air concerts and they're always very popular.

There are loads of tourists here at the moment so that can't be 'it'. I guess they come for the Park and go to bed early?

Well, they missed out on some good music. We had a great time!

I always like these events, they're such great, relaxed, summer evenings! Children and dogs running around and playing, locals meeting each other, talking and laughing, some good food and good music..... aah, the good life!

 

 

Since I'm on facebook (Yeah, it finally happened) I sometimes forget where I posted what and so I guess I forgot to show Sadie's new 'wheels' in this blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon hearing that she had troubles getting around these days, somebody on one of the pet forums that I periodically scan through, donated her recently departed dog's wheel chair!

She worked at UPS so even the shipping was free if you can believe it. There are some awesome people out there!

I've promised her we'll 'pay it forward' when the time comes.

Here she goes on her 'maiden run'!
 

 

Not too sure, but she did great!

 

This 'walking wheel' wheelchair is totally adjustable in height and length and the front and back harness as well.

We'll be tweaking it a little bit for a while but so far so good. I was worried about her 'doing her business' but she has no problem just doing 'it' more or less standing up.

I guess when you have to go, .... you go!

 

Next, I just have to tell you about the bread I baked! It is out of this world! Honestly!

 

 

 

 

I was looking for a recipe for the 'pretzel bread' I used to eat a lot when I lived in Switzerland. It keeps amazing me, the things you find when you start googling. Thousands of recipes!

Anywho, I choose one and found that you actually have to boil this bread in water with baking soda, after the first rising!

Really? Yeah, really! And it's also really easy! Who knew?

I made some salty ones and also 2 with sugar and cinnamon. Boy, oh, boy, were they good :)!

Very good with (homemade) pea soup as you can see.

 

(The bread on the bottom right is just a 'normal' sandwich bread. Came out a little pale but tasted good)

 

Since we're on the subject of food (I almost start to sound like a Hess, don't I :) this is how we eat most meals. Outside!

 

 

 

Desserts are easy when your name is James, but I think it's getting a tad out of hand, don't you?

 

 

Due to some big fires in Northern Idaho we have some smoke drifting in our valley at the moment. It lays a rather spooky glow over everything during the day but even more so around sunset. Quite pretty though.
Fire danger is extremely high at the moment since it has been a very dry summer. I hope we won't have any close by or in the Park where as they have to close (parts of) it!

 

  

Madison Arm, part of Hebgen Lake
 

Last weekend we went to see the 'Mountain Man Rendezvous' encampment that had set up camp in town.

Although we've been to a couple of them before and find
them usually a little cheesy it's fun for a little stroll along the booths on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

 

There was a Trader's Row set up just like the old days, and all vendors wore their period costumes to add to the atmosphere.
Musicians provided some live entertainment and they held black powder shoots and tomahawk and knife demonstrations.

 

It makes you appreciate some of the challenges and dangers that existed in the days of the mountain men.






We had lunch at this little 'traveling kitchen'.
The very nice couple that own it are a very entertaining couple and provided us with a lot of 'insider'-information about these gatherings.
Every little thing they show or do has to be 'period' except for some modern food restrictions they have to comply too (which explains the bottle of salsa).





I finally got to taste the 'scottish eggs' that John from 'Going Gently' is addicted to and I must say it's an excellent snack!
The Indian Tacos were OK but I make better ones myself if I may say so ;)

Afterwards we hit the Outlet Store in town since we could use some new shirts and sweaters. Because of being 'locals' we get 10% off on top of the already very decent prices so we got us 2 hooded sweaters with zip, 1 hoody without and 3 T-shirts for under $50. Not bad!

 

 

The next morning we set out to drive the little 12 mile loop that starts just a mile away from us and that that brings you out to Madison Arm (or more like a 'finger'), part of beautiful Hebgen Lake.

 

 

 

                               

Hebgen Lake has been called the premier still-water (fly) fishing lake in Montana.  Apparently it has a healthy population of browns, cutthroats and rainbows (trouts).

We hope to find out next week how healthy exactly when the fishing poles and reels I bought on E-bay will arrive!

Although very scenic it was far from a 'smooth' ride because of the typical washboard bumps you find here on most of the unpaved roads.
The stiff suspension of our heavy truck makes it even harder, so you either have to drive real slow (5m/hr) or 'ride the tops'. We tried both ways and definitely liked the faster (35m/hr) speed better!

South Fork of the Madison river

 

On the workamper front everything is moving along very well.

James has finished the Handicapped Shower in the main building. Out of 2 regular showers and some dead space he created this beautiful spacious bathroom.

It's big enough for a wheel chair and because it has 2 shower heads/areas it doubles as a 'family shower'. Very handy if you have a couple of young kids! 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

As for me, I wasn't going to bake at all but what do you do when somebody brings fresh rhubarb into the office with a note that says 'FREE'?!..

 .... Right, you run out for some strawberries and you make your husband's favorite pie, ... well, I'll have a little piece :)

 

 

Also I have discovered something disturbing. Do you know the summer is dwindling down? I walked by the meadows and all of a sudden noticed a lot of flowers have gone to seed and some typical end-of-the-summer (dare I say fall?) ones are appearing, like Goldenrod.
Now I must say, I like fall, in fact, it's my favorite season, I loooove fall, but ...jeez...already...?

    

This is the same meadow in the spring/summer  (L) and how it looks right now (R) ....
Oh well, c'est la vie!

 

There are some puzzling things in this collage. For me, at least.

 

I know the one on the left is an Indian Paintbrush and the 'shroom' on the bottom right a King Boletus but what's that stuff in the middle or the very prickly sort of thistle at the top right?

 

He or she who can tell me earns a piece of my Strawberry-Rhubarb pie! (Pick-up only :)

 

 

 

 

 

Time for some golf again! This time we headed for the Island Park Village Resort, about 15 minutes away, and took advantage of their 2 for 1 deal (after 3 pm) they had going on for the month of July.

We had a tee-time at 6pm and although it looked like we might get a thunderstorm later on in the evening we started out with beautiful weather and temperatures around 72F. Just perfect!

It's a 9 hole course, perfect for us, and winds it's way through an upscale mountain resort with beautiful, big, mostly log-cabin type houses and the last 3 holes skirting the edge of the 'flats' of the valley.
A little 'long' for me with par 3's of 150 to 180 yards but fun nevertheless.

 (By the way, that thunderstorm never got to us)

 

On Sunday we visited Big Sky, one of Montana's biggest ski areas. 

From West Yellowstone the road follows the Gallatin River as it makes it way through the Gallatin National Forest. 

 

  

 

"The Meadow" sector of the area lies in an Alpine valley and is braided with small rivers that channel mountain snow run-off.

 

 

Just before we drove up to Big Sky Resort we met these two Mountain Big Horn Sheep by the side of the road:

 

 

 

As you can see with this pair the females have less curled and lighter horns than the males (which grow throughout their lives).

Although they usually live in large flocks, and do not typically follow a single leader ram, these 2 seemed to be by themselves.

These adult Rocky Mountain bighorn rams and ewes are much larger and heavier than their cousins, the Desert Bighorn sheep.

 

 

    

 

The Big Sky community has two large ski resorts that are sited in the "Mountain" sector: Big Sky Ski Resort and Moonlight Basin Ski Resort. Both are Alpine ski and golf resorts. The combined terrain of the two resorts allows them to boast "The Biggest Skiing in America". 

 

At the base of Lone Mountain, at 7500', we took the Swift Current Lift to the top of it's line. From there you have a nice view of Big Sky Resort but it was very hazy due to fires in Idaho.

 

 

 

 

We hiked a short distance of the Summit trail until we reached a particular treacherous and steep part with a lot of loose slate. Not dressed for this kind of adventure we headed back to the lift to bring us back to Resort level.

 

 

 

 

The trees struggle at this elevation...

 

 

   

 

                  (especially if you have to endure these kinds of jokers...)

On the way back down we caught some raindrops! I guess this broke our 'good weather' streak!

 

These mountain bikers went down the steep first part like madmen! I presume the sign, 'look before you leap', (bottom right) is for them and not for the people in the ski lift!?

All of a sudden this fox popped out from the forest, sat down for a moment in a clearing and before I could get a good shot of him, disappeared again on the other side!

 

 

 

On the way back the weather got much better again the closer we got to West Yellowstone. What a beautiful area!

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of mornings ago I was having a cup of coffee inside when, out of the corner of my eye, I see this huge animal walk by the RV. Just on the other side of the wire!

 

 

 

It was a big bison bull, all by his lonesome! As you can see he's missing a large part of his tail.

 

 

Here I had run outside to just catch his butt end....

He followed the fence down the hill, all the way to the road, where he took a left and disappeared out of sight!
How's that for waking up in the morning!

The next evening, here he comes again walking down from the foothills, all the way up to the fence of the cow pasture!

The 'girls' got all excited and followed him wherever he went (safe on the other side of the fence)! It was hilarious!

 

 

                                             

 

 

The light was a little too low to get a good shot of him but you can still 'get the picture' :)

 

 

 

 

 How time flies! Another week gone!