MIND IN MONTANA

I think this is our twelfth day in Montana, but I can't really remember anymore. I'm fairly certain that it's the most consecutive days I've spent in a state that I didn't live in. Tomorrow night we'll be in North Dakota, and roll along that state for quite a few days too. Spending so many days in Montana reminds me of when I was a kid, and my dad was working on weekend projects---he always had something going in the garage on Saturday morning, and he often needed an extra pair of hands. Being the youngest, and slowest on the uptake, I missed the signals that a request for help was imminent as my mom and older brothers made themselves scarce. And so it was, after one last exasperated yelp from the garage that my dad would come in, survey the living room and find me with a glass of milk watching Penelope PitStop on the Saturday morning cartoons. He'd ask if I could lend him a hand, and of course I was happy to help. A quick gulp of the milk and I was in the garage, ready to hand off screwdrivers, press the gas pedal, steady the ladder or whatever was required. Inevitably, things would deteriorate---while I was supposed to be aiming the flashlight down a murky hole, it would wind up pointed into the corner of the garage where I was inspecting a spiderweb. After a couple of reminders to stay on task, my dad would eventually erupt and loudly ask "LAURIE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Before I could recall what it was that I was doing, he'd answer: "YOU'RE STANDING THERE WITH YOUR THUMB IN YOUR EAR AND YOUR MIND IN MONTANA!!!" Both of these things were factually inaccurate, but it always made me wonder about Montana. Also, when he yelled this same phrase at my brothers, "ear" was replaced with another three-letter anatomical region. SO, now my mind has finally had a chance to go to Montana, and after about two weeks, it's ready to vacate to another state. Next time I'm off task, my mind might actually BE in Montana!

We are in Poplar MT this morning at 9am, taking a break at the library because the one in our destination town of Culbertson doesn't open on Wednesdays. It's going to be another hot day out there today, high around 97.We've covered 22 miles, and have about 35 more to go today.

I've been reading the Lewis and Clark diaries covering their time in Montana---they were here longer than us, but they were actually MAKING the maps. It's funny how they had some of the same concerns that we do---late starts, high winds, "bothersome musquitors", and high heat. They also ran into rattlesnakes and prickly pear cacti. We've seen a few rattlesnakes on the road, after a car has seen them first---every day when I see one, I know that's my FREE TICKET to another night in a motel. All I have to do is say, "whew...I hope a rattler like that doesn't come slithering into our tent tonight", and there's no way Kami is camping! I'm going to have to find somebody to throw dead rattlesnakes in the shoulder every 50 miles or so, and I won't see my sleeping bag, Big Agnes, for the rest of the trip!