Posts from the ‘RV Trips’ category

Back in Great Falls

Wild Thing is once again parked in Great Falls. We are in a different spot but still near the back of the park and easy access to the Nature Trail walk to the teepee and beyond.

Again we have a foilage buffer between us and neighbors.

Boy…Helena did NOT agree with Bear or me.

Below, taken at 5:10 p.m. …. I think it tells the story. We are relieved and glad to be here.

I drove the 94 miles over a longish lunch hour, working a few hours this morning and arriving in time for an afternoon work session.

During the work session, it got dark, the wind blew, thunder, lightning, the power went out!!!

But I am all about batteries: laptop, mobile hotspots – I finished the work session without a blip!

Fortunately, the whoosh of wind, etc. lowered the temperature so I did not need to fire up the genset but I was very glad when the power came back. A quick call to the park office and I was told that the entire east side of Great Falls had gone black. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to restore…just shy of 2 hours.

Wild Thing’s refrigerator changed over to propane so the wine was cold!!!

I think Bear is ready to be home.

I am ready to be home.

We are paid through Saturday morning as I hope that Bob’s ashes will be available to come with us, but if not, I have already paid for them to be shipped. Still, I would like to have them and all of us home together.

It still feels like the world has tilted on its axis. Disconcerting. As many times as I’ve lived through a loss event, it never gets easier. In fact, it gets more difficult.

BUT.

I keep the “BIG ORANGE SUN” of Bob’s love in my heart and mind.

And I work on living. To give in to less robs me and Bear of the joy of today. I absolutely know that neither Bob nor Karl nor Gus nor Zack would want anything other than joyful memory and joyful life.

Back in Great Falls.

Helena, MT mornings

I’ve been up early – even earlier than my norm. Monday, my plan was to make a quick and early stop at Wal-Mart, then a drive past a rural house I saw on the internet, arriving at a bar/restaurant reputed to have a good breakfast – close to its 8:00 a.m. opening.

I stopped at Bob’s Market to take the photo. I am partial to sunlit clouds and think of them as direct communication from God…some people think rainbows, a past church acquaintance thought streetlights that flickered out… anyway, for me, it is sunlit clouds.

I don’t actually get a detailed message, I just feel the connection and the peace.

The Wal-Mart run was brief and successful.

The drive to the house was mixed, but interesting and ultimately pretty but I never saw the house. Google Maps Navigation has been wonderful, except for this route and I finally gave up and headed for the breakfast spot – arriving about 8:40 and it was getting warm and no shade parking so we came home.

This morning, Tuesday, the plan was “Steve’s Cafe” – highly rated. It WAS very good and shade parking, although I was there about 7:30 – still, I felt better about leaving Bear in the Jeep and I had a table where I could see him.

I also fueled the Jeep and scouted the Costco parking lot for a hoped for 10:00 a.m. run…that all worked also.

Wild Thing is loaded. Neither Bear nor I will go hungry. Tomorrow morning we head back to Great Falls. No, I have no explanation, it is just what I want to do. I think we’ll head home on Saturday, but all plans are subject to change.

This morning, as we headed to breakfast…a red sunrise and again, sunlit clouds.

Arrived Helena, MT

Bear and I are parked and set up for the week in Helena, Montana…94 miles south of where we were in Great Falls.

I had close to something like a panic attack last night when I was thinking through the logistics of the move. I don’t know…it was like I was abandoning Bob. Off and on, I thought…well, I will just stay here another week, I do not HAVE to go.

I thought about waiting until I had Bob’s ashes with us. (I arranged to have them mailed to my house…) Silly…Bob is in my heart and mind and memory, but I also know that sometimes logic just does not cut it in the journey through loss.

I gave myself leeway to stay if I really needed to.

Off and on, this morning, I was tempted to stay but ultimately I was looking forward to spending some time in Helena and finally told myself to buck up and go.

Which we did.

And we are now here in Helena.

It was an easy drive on Interstate 15. The terrain changes from rolling ranch land to rocky caverns. It was and is smoky-hazy, but it was still very pretty. I stopped about halfway for a walk with Bear and a pre-lunch snack.

I had planned to go to the Helena Costco before the RV park and stock a few things but I needed gas…the first gas stop was actually the road the RV park is on and while stopped, some folks were asking about Bear and I asked about Costco and they said there was not a lot of open parking. The gas spot had an on-site market: Bob’s Market. I took that as a sign, got a few things from Bob’s and we rolled the last 1/2 mile to the RV park. We’ll hit Costco in the Jeep one morning this week.

And, I am so proud of myself…I thought up a new trick to help stay cool while hooking up/unhooking. This morning as I was in and out, taking my time, but still heating up (it was 70F!!!) – I took a dish towell, soaked it in cool water and tied it around my neck. Yes!! When I was ready to leave, I rinsed it, put it in a zip lock bag and then into the freezer. Arriving Helena: 76F, I put my semi-frozen horsehoe of a dishtowel around my neck as I unhooked the Jeep and hooked up water and power. VERY successful. I was still warm but much more comfortable and it took me only minutes to cool down once back in Wild Thing. Hoo-rah!

We don’t have shade here. We are pointed due North so taking the early afternoon sun off the driver side rear, but Wild thing is keeping up and it is not to be quite as hot as Great Falls. Also, there is a better chance of afternoon showers, just this 90 miles south.

Things are a bit more exciting for Bear. There are no kids but seems like everyone has a dog and he’s worn himself out thinking about that and is now sound asleep on the dash. I believe he will adjust.

I made myself a rather large margarita for an after lunch treat. I believe I will adjust also. But right now, I’m going to take a nap.

Onward.

Bear and me

Two is not three.

We should be three.

Bob is 5 minutes away but it seems like more sometimes.

Sometimes, I would like to just go and GET HIM HOME.

But.

All is going well, under the circumstances, for Bob.

And this challenging time for all of us will hopefully be just a memory soon.

Meanwhile.

Bear and me.

We have to live and work and walk and have treats.

We do.

This photo is from 8/17…last Saturday evening, from Bear’s and my evening walk.

Last weekend, there were people around the teepee and I didn’t realize that it was part of the campground until yesterday.

Last evening, after a very difficult day of worry over Bob (SILLY/STUPID…but there it is) and a full day of work and it was hot, etc., etc. – Bear and I went for our walk and I took the camera and hoped to see the rising moon and also to explore what this campground calls “the Nature Trail”.

Bear and I discovered that the “Nature Trail”, included the teepee and also that since there was no one else around…off leash it was, quiet and peaceful and watching the moon, enjoying the big sky and open views.

Bear and Me.

Evening walk: Great Falls

This KOA campground is filled with gardens: vegetable, fruit (raspberry) and flowers.

We guests may pick whatever we’d like. Tomorrow, I’m going to get some stuff!!!

But today, I just scouted.

The rv park sits on a bluff that overlooks miles and miles of fields…

The evening colors as the sun headed down were beautiful.

The big sky and big country of eastern Montana.

Another garden…I’m getting stuff tomorrow!!

Our little spot in this place.

The skunky looking bit in the lower left is the back end of Bear.

Evening walk: Great Falls

Off to see the wizard!

Not to say our own Dr. Clark is not a wizard of a vet, but he doesn’t have a CT Scan machine thingy and no one else in the area does either, hence our trip to Great Falls to the Big Sky Animal Medical Center.

Bear was happy to hit the road.

We pulled out of our driveway at exactly 9:30 a.m. My hope and plan was to leave 9 – 10 latest so I was very happy with the 9:30 departure.

We hit a small snag between Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse…

Construction delay.

But we were delayed along the Flathead River with scenic views and cool morning air so we crawled along and watched the river.

Things cleared up at Hungry Horse and we zipped past West Glacier and through Marias Pass. It was hazy-smokey but still beautiful.

Today is the first time I’ve done this route in the motorhome. There are some drop offs along the road. It is vastly different in a motorhome, where you are up high and can really see over the guard rail what a long drop it is to the bottom…

A lot of traffic all the way…rvs, cars, commercial stuff. I go the speed limit but no one likes being behind a motorhome so I pulled over when I could.

The delay, the traffic…it made for a long and tiring day of driving.

The boys were champs!!!

The above scene from our lunch break. Considering his wobblies, Bob did very well negotiating to his food, some under table steps and even his litter box en route.

No problems with Bear and Bob and I am completely confident with them together – YEA!!!

Bob had a ground floor nest in a secure spot near both food and litter box.

We arrived at the clinic about 3:45 p.m.

Good news – wonderful people!

Bad news – the rv parking is just parking and no power and it was 91F so even with the generator running ’round the clock, we would be just barely comfy.

BUT…a KOA RV campground was near and that is where we landed. It is beautiful and I hope to get out with the camera at sunset as the campground sits on a bluff above miles of fields.

It is 7:30 p.m. as I write this…we are all beat, but Bear and I had several walks along the way and one here at the campground. We have all had dinner. I’ve had a cool shower and a glass of wine! All is well for tonight.

We take Bob to the clinic tomorrow morning. They will call when they have read the scan. In between, Bear and I will go to a gorgeous park we passed on the way in – along the Missouri River. The Missouri runs through Great Falls.

Thanks to all who sent emails of encouragement and prayer for our safe travel and a good outcome for Bob.