Day Two

Along Rt 2 also known as the Great Northern Road Trip. Here’s an article. We traveled most of the way through the plains part of it today.

We started the day watching the sky. Apparently we drove under the fly way. Huge flocks of geese.

This guy seemed to be out wandering around. He had a few friends too, but, of course, we soon realized they were stuck in place just for our benefit.

I spent my whole day with this beloved person. So far Elv has done all the driving. I had forgotten that Montana reverts to the 30’s with the highway. It is still two lanes and  rather harrowing. Numerous super-sized tractor trailer gravel haulers and semi grain trucks hurtle along the narrow ribbon of road toward our now diminutive Jeep and whoosh past us with only inches to spare. Elv is attentive but unfazed. Apparently, I am no judge of space, size and speed. Honestly, I haven’t been harrowed till later in the day when I started to feel tired. So I read Constable Beside the Sea aloud for a hundred miles or so and let the big trucks manage themselves.

We planned ahead and found a way to get our walk in part way through the day. The Milk River fusses along many miles of our road, never quite sure which side to be on.

We enjoyed our sunny hike. Elv tried to identify tree species. We found cedar trees, we thought, until we looked up for green needles only to see bare branches. We think the great large, old trees might be cottonwoods.

This  bridge is a leftover relic from old Rt 2.

There’s an old car dump on the opposite river bank. “Maybe they’re using them for fill or for erosion control.” Mused Elv.  We have a friend who says that he likes to practice defaulting to positivity. Elv’s idea about erosion control made me think of that, again. Yes, let’s.

There were two museums by the trail, but they weren’t open. These little shepherd’s houses on wheels blessed me so much better than the very sad trailer houses that lie in ruins all over the plains.

A new Comfort Inn and Suites in Shelby for our home tonight. Our room is clean and tastefully arranged. I absolutely can’t think of another thing that would perfect this moment.

Tomorrow is Glacier and the folks in Bonners Ferry. Yay!