Dumping Oil, Carving Leather, Tying Knots, Motorcycle Cruising, and Shining Times

Been stayin' busy.

Unloaded the Raider as soon as we got here, 'cause I decided I should start doin' my own maintenance again on that too... must have took me ten times what it should have to service that big scooter...

It's a hard thing for grumpy Ol' Buster with a twisted "Bender" to crawl around on a garage floor hunting up all the drains on the durn thing... While trying to keep his wal mart cheaters on his dang nose... so he even has half a chance of seeing anything!

That bike not only has Three drain plugs, that you can't really see, it carries more oil then the big 450 HP, 390 V8 that I built in my last Hot Rod Truck!

But she's done now, and I'm back to servicing all my own machinery again... Not a thing that makes me giggle, 'cause mechanicin' mostly isn't a real attractive past time to me... but... keepin' a few more pesos in the bank to pay for fuel makes it a worthy sacrifice. :)

It's not a huge amount, but I guess I'm saving maybe half of the cost of payin' the shops to do that servicing. Every lil' bit helps the budget.

The Wedding we came down for, is this afternoon and for the first time in a while, the Album I've built for it is finished in time! No having to give it back to me for completion! Shocking News! :)

The design is really gonna work well I think. Built from scratch and no stitching required. Four tooled panels. Front and Back covers and two interior cover panels. Kinda cool! A pretty simple design for a tooled leather album for an RV Based leather craftsman. Eliminates the need for a big stitching horse or a bigger leather stitcher!

Tomorrow morning Josh and I are gonna take his custom Hard Tail and see if he can keep up... or... if his Daddy-N-Law can behave himself and not twist the throttle so tight, on a ride up into the mountains...

Josh thought it'd be fun to have a video of that... Only... his senile daddy-N-law left his video camera, bought for that purpose... sitting in the rig in Montana. DOH! I swear, I'm gonna need to get rich enough to have a personal assistant to keep track of all my packs and 'possibles'. :)

So, I guess I'll only be able to snap some pics...

Now, speakin' of "Budgets" ... We're comin' up on a year on the road. We left with enough in the bank to Almost get to the end of the month... and Only That... and destroyed a tire on day one! :)

We're still pretty hand to mouth but the truth is there actually are a couple of dollars in the bank now, in spite of all the tires, fuel pump and such we've had to deal with. Most of that came from selling the black bike... but that it's been able to be left in the bank is a good thing! :)

One thing that is The Best is how my websites and my lil' publishing effort have been tootin' along. Makin' me rich? Not so you'd notice... better than that. It's keepin' us on the road, and eating. :)

Last month Amazon sold hard on four dozen copies of my novel A Matter of Honor. Not a barn burner for sure, but you know what? That's a tank of diesel I didn't have to make somewhere else! :) and the books moving through my Smashwords Distributor are hangin' right with Amazon. Sweet!

On top of that, this is my Best Month I've EVER had with the Websites. Awesome! The Bottom line? Between the two areas my writing/publishing has moved up in our sources of RV Boondocking income to just about half.

In large part, I have all you guys to Thank for that! so... MANY THANKS! :)

I guess I better go and get myself made presentable for Terry's festivities today.

Again, Many Thanks for What you all do here. This Ol' Buster appreciates it more than any of you can possibly know.

Some Times, Shining Times are Quiet Times
Brian

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Remember When I've Told You...

... That; "I don't know what's gonna happen, 'till I look back and see what I did."? Well, it happened again, just like that!

We were rollin' down I-90, right on plan and on schedule, heading toward Billings. The plan was, cut south there, and likely lay up in Casper.

Until... A wandering Cowboy Biker and an Onliest Problem Collided...

That Onliest problem was a sign just a bit west of Bozeman that hung out over the road and said; "Ennis and West Yellowstone this exit!"... hmmmmmm.

Uh ... are you starting to see where this is goin'? What's the point of bein' crazy... if ya can't exercise your attributes?

Yup... Next thing anybody in the truck knew, it was cuttin' down the exit and turnin' south, juuuuuuust a mite early. :)

What can I say? The Interstate is a lot like algebra... BORING! and when you stop and think 'bout it, runnin' across Wyoming, and goin' around Yellowstone and the Tetons... makes no freakin' sense 'tall. Not when your whole deal is, Yondering!

Now of course splittin' off like that from the four lane to the two, might not add a lot of miles, but it adds a goodly amount of time to the same trip, so yesterday was a long day. Took the better part of 11 or 12 hours to get a trifle over 300 miles. :) Takes a lot of time to gawk and fiddle... IF ... you're doin' it right!

We hit the park at West Yellowstone and rolled down making our pass through the SW quarter in the late afternoon, early evening hours. I thought that it might allow us to get a nice wildlife pic or two... but it didn't quite work out that-a-way. And I had to do, what I never do... Which was stop at a gawking tourista Animal Jam, to get what I got.

We came up on a jam... people jumpin' out of their cars and runnin' off into the bushes, donatin' buckets of blood to the skeeters, to capture that special picture... and for once, Heidi talked me into gawkin' along with 'em. All there was, was this mid size grunter, layin' in the mud on the far side of a boggy pond. 

Missed the best part though. Some kid, likely bout 12, maybe 13 kept askin' his folks; "Can I walk around and pet him?" and they told him no. The kid was kind of whiny and upset; "Why can't I?"

I wanted to tell him; "You run on over there squirt, and I'll video your endeavor... so your Mama'll have something to remember you by... ya Bambi lovin' idiot!" I swear... if you want to see the failure of public education, all ya got to do, is stand around Yellowstone for maybe six minutes! I love the entertainment the place offers along with the vistas of fine country. :)

*The Tetons just before Sunset*

Pretty good place to run through long about sunset too...
 

*Sun dropping behind the Tetons*

*Sunset from Togwotee Pass*

But, eventually you realize; "I've got miles to go 'fore I sleep"... so you put your butt on the seat... your foot on the pedal... and shake rattle and roll to get where you're goin'.

*The Tetons... through a tunnel of trees*

Though traffic was pretty light really, for the time of year (an advantage to the time of day we rolled through I think) we hit a lot of construction on the continuing rebuild of the highway over Togwotee Pass... and finally rolled into the lil' burg of Dubois hard on nine thirty in the P.M. 

Once I swaller a few more cups of this motel coffee, we'll throw the bags back in the Ol' Dodge, and point it south... and who knows which way I'll find myself dy-vertin' today! :)

Some Place to be... But no Hurry to get there!
Brian

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Montana Camps, Mountain Posies, Political Parasitism and Cowboy Drifters

Outside of a few lil' bits to finish up the Wedding Album is Complete, so, we've pretty much decided to just load up and go if we're goin'.

Gonna leave this camp to the next boondocker...

... and Hope they don't pick all the flowers...

Burn all the firewood...

Run down all the grass...

Or, Spray so much OFF, Cutter, and citronella...

That they disrupt the Hedonistic Romantic Desires of the Dragon Flies...

It makes sense I'm guessin'... If we're gonna run 900 miles and more for the wedding, might as well take a few more days to visit the kids.

So, either tomorrow morning, or afternoon, or Tuesday morning we'll pull out.

Sounds kinda like I'm not really sure when we're leavin' don't it? Uh... that's 'cause... I don't! :) When I look back and see Seeley Lake and NO TRAILER in my rear view mirror... I'll know we've left.

The Eagle will be staying secured in a storage lot in Montana while we make the run. I couldn't see draggin' it all the way to Colorado and then right back this way. Not to mention the difference between 11+ miles per gallon and 'bout 18!

It's our intention... My Intention? To run back Northwest for the end of summer. Maybe... as far as the furthest reaches of the Olympic Peninsula. As always, won't know until I look back and see what happened. :)

So... today, fit in around some sort of art fair a bit North of us and locking up those last lil' album bits, we'll be loading the Bike and getting the rig packed up to move, as well as packing what we'll need for the trip.

Looking at the weather report last night, I can't say we're exicted 'bout running headlong into the hot summer they seem to be havin' down on the Front Range. Outside of one or two days... it's been cool and sweet for us... for weeks! Cool enough to stir this Ol' tightwad Buster to tickle the furnace, and burn propane of a morning to warm his kiester while he has his morning coffee.

Yeah... doin' my part to help global warming along, exercisin' my furnace in July! :) But not to worry... Ol' AL won't say much... as he's payin' his muliti-thousand dollar monthly utility bill to heat and cool his multi-thousand square foot mansion, for him and his wife...

hmmm... that's pretty much the definition of hypocrisy ain't it? Tell everyone else they got to quit bein' so wasteful, cut back and do without... while he and his use up the resources that could put maybe 45 or so other families on easy street... The pompous arrogance of politicians is sorta Curious ain't it?

But then... all the high roads in these mountains, not gettin' opened this year for maybe a month and sometimes two, past the usual take-down-the-gates and roll dates... 'cause of the deep and heavy snows... sure supports the claim that things are warmin' up... don't it? :)

Actually, sounds more to this Ol' drifter like one more of the Chicken Little scenarios, where, "The Sky is Falling", in an Imminent Crisis, that we need to take care of Right Now! 

The same old, fabricated bull feces, that political Leaders have used since the beginning of politics, to stampede, unthinking, scared Sheeple into doin' what the politico parasites want 'em to do... which is... wait for it... Give Them, the Politicians, ever more power... to impose their misunderstanding of the world around them, On everyone.

Uh huh... and those warming temps are causing deeper, colder, longer winters... Uh ... Didn't they talk 'bout "Double Speak" in "1984"? or, was that "Animal Farm"? Hell, either one is a pretty good description of a modern Politician...

So... knowing that there ain't nobody smart enough to understand the weather, much beyond lookin' out the window to see if it's raining, I'll fire up my Ol' rumblin' Dodge and roll it to Denver.

... While the parasites and scavengers argue back in D.C. 'bout which Hog at the Trough gets run off and has to get out and pay their own way... 'cause the Free Feed truck has run dry... and, How much it's gonna cost, US.

Just a Man, Free on the Earth... Living and Breathing
Brian

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Sun Just Coming up Over the Trees to the East... Mist Rising off the River...

... and a Loon! Calling from down on the river... It's been so long since I've heard a Loon at sunrise...

*Sunrise over the Clearwater River on the Lolo in Montana*

The scent of the pines is strong here in the early morning... The air fresh and crisp... The sound of that Loon, coming across the soft sounds of the river flowing by our camp in these mountains... Sweet.

Yesterday, mid morning I took a break from Wedding Album building duties and took a walk up a logging road a mile or two above our camp... up toward the Mission Mountains that lay to our west. The road winds up through the foothills leading up into those mountains...

The views of course, are still back toward the sunrise... and the Swan Mountains...

*The Swan Mountains, Montana)

Still finding flowers we've not seen before... I think the big rush of color is past. Things are starting to slow down now... but, for the fella lookin'... there's still plenty to find.

As always, sometimes the prettiest things are the smallest and closest... Not that long view of Far Country...

... Though... I can't ride without either...

Kind of like a Motorcycle and saying you like your back wheel better'n the front...

Lose either one and ya'll ain't gonna git very far!

I sometimes feel like that guy in the 'Home Improvement' Commercial... who points at something and says "That One" and as he points... his hand swerves to something else... and then he spends twenty seconds or so... floppin' all around to different "Things" ... trying to decide...

I'm just like that in these Mountains... Folks ask me on occasion... Had I to choose... where do I like it best?

I'm like that guy in the commercial... I suppose the most accurate answer would have to be... "where ever I'm headed!"

'Cause it's a simple and pure fact, I get uncomfortable where I'm at... in fairly short order. Give me a week, ten days... and I start itchin' to be movin'... So you can imagine what a torture it was to be on the most beautiful of ranches there in Colorado... for ten years! :)

... and then in that fine house we built... for seven...

Sounds ungrateful I know... but... Not really. I'm grateful that I can be Yondering now. Those other places are nice... They're Fine... but... the road and the horizon that call to a drifter... soothe some deep and hidden ache in a way that only a wandering drifter can understand. It's that same old motorcycle saying; "If I have to explain it... you won't understand."

*How many have walked past this lil' stone... without seeing it?*

Walking along we realized that the logging trail was becoming a pretty good strawberry patch... with a string of wild strawberries scattered all along it...

... and they look pretty good don't they? Heidi tried some, and claimed they were sweet... Me? It may sound crazy, but I just didn't have a hunger for berries just then...

... and besides... being lazy... it just didn't seem worth the effort!

*Wild Strawberries*

It's gonna take a loooong walk... and a lot of pickin'... to fill a basket with THESE suckers! :)

But... I had to cut the walk short... down to two and a half hours... cuz I was needful of gettin' my work done. So, it was back to camp and cut some more leather...

*Checking the "Spine" panel of the Leather Album for fit*

The front and back book leaves are put together... The "Spine" parts are assembled and I'll lock 'em down this morning some time...

Then apply the tooled Outer Covers and inner liner panels...

The idea with this design that I laid out... was to come up with a built from scratch, tooled leather photo album...

... That required NO stitching...

My problem here in camp is no stitching machine... and No Stitching horse of sufficient size, to do hand stitching...

This hyar design is all glued...

That in itself can be an issue... if you're the sort that gets in a hurry... Now, Me? Aw, I've Never been accused of Rushing Things! :)

Uh Huh... and the wind don't blow in Wyoming... and the skeeters are all on vacation...

But... anyhoo... if you're gonna glue things... you've got to take your time... and go slow... or you'll have one Gawd Awful mess of a wreck of an album...

Well... gonna go finish my coffee... get my head together... and finish up assembling this latest piece... 'cause we also have to run for propane... and find a bank... again! :)

Listening to the Montana Loons
Brian

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Montana Backroads on the Lolo National Forest

Put the hammer down yesterday evening, so to speak :), after finishing up the tooling on the Album I'm working on... and climbed in the truck for a "Cool Out" drive up that old road past Clearwater Lake... where we walked a week or so ago...

The road past it was closed... and... depending on which-a-way ya'll is comin' from... might still be! :)

Passed this lil' sign on the way out...

On the way - IN - the gate that had shut the road was open... and no sign...


so... there seems to be a lil' difference of opinion with in the road control officienados...

'course... some might consider the road to be less then prime... if ya'll is drivin' a corvette...

Yeah... I know the mud flaps are goin' the wrong way... if I just crossed that ditch...

I had just crossed it when I thought; "Hey ya gomer! You shoulda got yourself a pic of crossin' the great and wide chasm!" :)

And then (Trying to pay attention Thomas! :) Inside joke!)... I backed up into it again... and didn't think to pull the flap up so ya'll would never know it was a "Retake"! :)

anyhoo... it's a real pretty run back up in there through heavy timber. When you do get an opening... you're looking at the Swan Range of Mountains that run down the west side of The Bob Marshall Wilderness... and... the... Uh... heck, I forget the Wilderness that's just on the South Side of the Bob...

*The Swan Range in Montana*

Ah Hah! It came to me... The Scapegoat Wilderness to the right... the Bob mostly straight ahead and to the left...

Supposed to be good Griz habitat... so I checked my window switch a couple times to make sure the window would go up... just in case... 'cause ever'body knows... a 1/4" piece of glass will plumb shut down a mad 900 lb Bear! :)

 

The streams have started slowin' down in the high country... and the drop is rolling on down stream... so the folks on the big rivers should be getting some relief soon... A few of the higher streams have even gone dry...

Been getting a lot of mail recently... Several from folks talkin' how I inspired them to step out on their own adventure... whatever that choice of theirs is... That's a pretty rewarding thing... For people to let you know you made an impact. It's a little intimidating too... knowing that there's all sorts of roadblocks they'll run in to... and hoping I don't catch too much of the heat for that! :)

Then... there's some... Like my Sis... who take exception... with some of my "Grammar" :) so... let me just say here... I know the difference twixt then and than... it's just that sometimes, my fingers outrun my brain... and my eyes don't catch the goof... and then "Me and I" ... uh... I ain't no english teacher... and sometimes... I just write it how I say it... sort of Tongue in cheek? ... so know that I accept the critique with a smile, as I'm sure it's intended... and will do me best :) to write gud and proper! :)

Well if I'm gonna get that album tied up with a bow... I better git after it!

Putting Leather Together... and Studyin' up on Gud English! :)
Brian

Camp Etiquette - OR - The Lack of It... and Carving Leather in the Boonies...

Either a whole lot of people just don't "Get It"... or... I think I must be selfish...

Been set up here for a couple days... pulled into an open spot in the first half mile where the NF road has left the pavement of the highway... and not a day of those has gone by, where... someone... hasn't pulled into where we're camped... and parked!... to go to the river...

Kind of like someone parking in your yard... to climb over your back fence... to go to the 7-11 down the street...

No... I don't own this land... but a man's camp is his camp... and the tradition, out in Far Country is; You ask permission, 'fore you enter a man's camp... It's a common courtesy, plain and simple... A courtesy that I've found, Lacking, in a lot of modern Soh-Si-Uh-Tee...

One outfit walked right directly through our camp... No more then six feet from the trailer! ...

Now... you've got to understand... there's another "Traditional Dispersed campsite" just past us, down river, that was clear... and before you get to our "Pull out"... there's a couple "Turnouts" on the road to park for River access... and then... there's miles and miles past us... and millions of acres...

No need to violate the "Space" and privacy of a person's camp.

Do folks have no concept of privacy? or common Courtesy? Why do they think people Boondock? ... or "Dispersed Camp"?

If I walked up and cut 'tween them and their cart in the grocery store... they'd raise a stink... This here is the same dang thing... How can folks not comprehend how rude they are?

Yesterday, the bozo pulled up, and parked... almost at our awning!... and this is in the middle of, The Boss only knows, how many millions of acres on the Lolo National Forest... with a whole great lot, of options...

For a minute or six... I had the almost irresistible urge to let my less then polite cowboy self ... go ahead and let the air out of the rude idiots tires... :) ... but then I realized... I'd be stuck with him and his... 'till the tow truck came! :)

Back in the Zion area, we passed up a boondock camp, for just the reason I'm speaking of... It was too close, to the site another traveler had... It's just plain rude...

A couple of "Examples" from the movies... that voice my feelin's on this; ...

John Wayne said something like this in the Shootist; "I won't be laid a hand on, I won't be lied to... I don't do these things to others and I require the same from them."

 .. and Capt. Call in Lonesome Dove; "Can't stand rude behavior in a man... Won't Tolerate it!" (when he whupped that army scout)  :)

It's all about common sense and courtesy... a lil' too lacking in this "Civilized" world...

Kind of curious to me... how the ignorant and "Wild West"... was so much more courteous and civilized... then this "Modern" and "Educated" imitation we're stuck with now...

I think I'll call 'em CB's ... Clueless Bozos...

But... lucky me... I had the antidote for their poor behavior... after my less then quiet comments to herself, 'bout their poor upbringing must have been overheard... waaaaaay down by the river... :) and they left after but a few minutes, and fishless...

I turned on good Ol' Bob Seger on the Ipod... and went back to tooling leather... :)

Got the wedding album 'bout 75% tooled... only have the inner liner "covers" left to tool now. Might even start putting things together this afternoon... assuming my usual; "Let's see if I can fix what ain't broke" syndrome doesn't get involved.

*Album Covers in Progress*

I've designed... or... more accurately, am designing on the fly, an album layout, that will require no stitching. Since my good stitching horse is too big to haul around in the fiver... and my lil' stitching pony... is too little to do a reasonable job on anything with any size to it...

... and the fact that as I age... I get lazier by the hour...

*Front Cover finished*

I thought it might be nice to come up with a good design, that would look good, and really simplify construction for those like me... who tool leather... while they're wandering in their RV's... with limited storage for leather tools and such.

So far... it looks like it's gonna work out... The whole thing will go together using only the proper glue... No stitching required... But... don't go holding your breath!... don't want to get letters telling how people fell over and whacked their heads... waiting to see how things came together... :)

Just wish my eyes and my hands would let me do the work with the quality I used to do... guess a perishable skill needs to be exercised a lil' more often to keep it sharpened! :)

So... Guess I should go move that "Warning! BEAR ATTACK!!!" sign... before I get back to Leather Carving... and... before the Sheriff comes by... :)

Brian

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Sorting Through My Packs... and Clearing out Confusions...

 Been a while since I stepped off on a long winded, cowboy sermonizing, temperamental tirade... So, let me fix that! :)

Something has been floating around in my head the past week or three... Since there is so much empty room in there, for things to bang around... it's been taking its own sweet time, coming up to where it can be seen clearly.

And now... a few other bloggers have said things in the past several days... that's helped that clarification rise up out of a fogged up Biker Cowboy's Brain.

That and being on the receiving end of 1800 miles of the healing power of the open road on a Motorcycle! :)

First was the Artful Blogger;  "Never crush someone’s dream, no matter how bold, how unrealistic it may seem to you."...

... and then... Our Odyssey;  "In my fantasy, readers are looking at these mechanical issues, seeing how we deal with them, and that is giving them the confidence to strike out on their own, knowing that all these sorts of problems are manageable."

I think, though the three of us are Wildly Different Yonderers.. we have similar ideals.

That thing, Like Sean's "Fantasy", that's been bumping around inside of my head, trying to get out,  is the idea that someone might actually benefit from my trail... and... in a Cowboy Karma sort of a deal, some of that benefit might splash back on me... as the result of an enlightened self interest.

The second part of what's been struggling for understanding... is how the "Judgmental" nature of Waaaaaay to many people on this road I follow, can find itself attached to and dragging down that enlightened self interest buoy.

I've been reading some of the writings of a few "Other" guys the past few days as well. Those boys shall remain nameless, in the interest of peace and tranquility :)... cuz... I'm about to get a bit Judgmental here... a dangerous trail I know...but I'll be as careful as I can be... given my "limitations" :)

What I've got to say is kinda critical... Those "Other" guys are wrong... But... What Bothers me... is that... when I read some of what they've written... I hear Echos of my Own Words...

They ripped on Big Rigs, People with stereos, this and that... hell, they even ripped on the lifestyle of Motorcycle Riders! Those boys have the arrogant audacity to claim to be the Vendors of all truth and pro-pri-uh-tee...Leastways, it comes across that-a-way.

UH... When it gets down to it... who are any of us... to rip on Any... Body?

Now... my Excuse is... and what I've tried to do... what I've tried to limit my Criticism too... is Freedom... or... the lack of it...

What I've tried to do, what my intention is; Is to try and Motivate folks to summon the cajones to go out, chase their Freedom. Chase their Dreams. Find the Courage to LIVE. To Live to their own tune... not Anyone Elses's.

To understand that; "If You live to meet someone Else's expectations... you become their property."

So... let me clear up some things that maybe folks could have a misunderstanding about when it concerns this Ol' Buster.

When I seem to "Denigrate" some variety of Rig or lifestyle... ALL.. I am saying.. is... "That 'IT' Ain't for ME." That doesn't mean it... whatever 'IT' is... is a bad thing... Only, that it's a thing that doesn't tickle my woolies.

Also, as Mark wrote... Know that it's NEVER my intention to  "Crush anyone's Dream"... Not even a lil' bit... unless of course... it is their "Dream" to impose their Ideas and beliefs on anyone else, or behave in an arrogant and disrespectful way... then of course ... I drag out the chain saw... and git to work! :)

That said... I do... and will... say a few things, now and again about parts of life that, to me, seem to do heavy damage to a persons Individuality, and Freedom. That, is my BIG, hot button issue. Freedom and the Sovereign RIGHTS of the Individual that Government and SOH-Si-UH-TEE... have got zero Right, or Moral Authority to touch or color. Rights... Unassailable, Inviolate, RIGHTS...  NOT ... regulate-able, revocable... privileges.

Maybe my biggest wish is that there would be some sort of a miraculous Revelation amongst folks... where the ones that "Don't Get It" (a heavy majority of population)... would suddenly be able to discern the difference between those two things... Rights and Privilege.

I do such talkin' with as much etiquette and politeness as I can... but... what can I say, I don't always hit the mark.

Also, like Sean said in his post, what sometimes might seem to be me whining... is put down with the idea that somebody might be able to glean something useful from what I've run in to... and overcome. Or, even just seeing what ate my lunch, might could give someone the information they needed to avoid the same calamity.

That and one more lil' thing. In this age of mood enhancing drugs, to cure depression, as if ALL of that's a disease... I stand up and say... when there's war over half the globe, when your transmission's blown, your bank account is drained dry, your dog has fleas, supper is burned, your "Relationship" is on the rocks, there's two flats on the ATV... and you're just plain, In A Bad Mood, with skeeters buzzin' around the bedroom at two in the morning...

... It's OK to get down...

Hell... it's Good and Proper, to be depressed.

Just because someone else... some place else... has it worse than you... doesn't make your load any lighter... so Lighten up on yourself... It's OK to feel like crap for a while... It's Freaking Normal People! If you don't do that once in a while... THAT is more of an unrealistic problem... Which I promise you, stuffing it like that is gonna come back and bite you on your sensitive parts... And that is a Double Rectified, Gar-uhn-tee!

Go sit in the shade for a while. Put your Ipod buds in your ears, tune in your favorite jams, pop the top on a cool brew... or a cup of green tea if that's your preference... and chill.

Then, after a rest... get up... put one foot in front of the other... and move on down the road...

...So... though I can see inside my own head a mite more clearly, (and geeze... what a mess!) I may or may not have laid out a clearer picture for ya'll... Though, I may have just punched the last nail into the lid on the box that holds your idea that; "That Ol' Boy is seven bricks shy of half a load!" :)

Goin' RV Boondocking on a Ribbon of Highway :)
Brian

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A Ten Day Camp on the Lolo National Forest...

The camp at Big Larch on the Lolo National Forest, was the longest we've spent in an Organized NF camp since we cracked out... and the only reason for it, was to avoid possible problems while I was gone.

Early yesterday afternoon, I pulled the rig a few miles north to a camp on the river coming out of Lake Alva... back into RV Boondocking territory.

*Below Lake Alva*

... and a river runs through it, just in front of those trees behind the rig...

We'll spend ten days here, until it's time to leave and run south for the wedding...

What with the river being right there... Maybe I should find that lil' fishing rod I've got 'round here somewhere... get me a license... and torque off some PETA types!

Saw a few trails leading off around the lake as we pulled in... so there should be plenty of walking available for herself and the dogs... while I get about getting my work done...

*The River out my Front door*

Finally took care of another lil' issue yesterday too... I've had this "rattle" going down the road that's irritated me... for a whole lot of miles... Sounded like something really bad loose, on both sides... but, I really couldn't find anything loose to account for it...

Finally, In frustration, I just jerked the beat up old wheel covers off the front end... and guess what? No more rattle. Nothing was loose... but they sure made noise... I'm thinking it was the wind, whistling through the holes cut in the dang things... So... It's the dumpster for those stinkin' things... and I'll just polish up and paint the wheels to be acceptable...

One more thing gotten rid of! :) let's see... 5lbs off the rig too... so my fuel economy will improve... :)

... Oh yeah... obviously... I've got signal here... and though I rigged up my rinky dink back up antennae for the cellular amplifier, it's not on... so... one more place Verizon has got the job done...

Though they do have their warts... like... seldom do the phones make it to the end of the contract!!! (but that's the phone manufacturer ain't it?) and they keep raising cost/reducing service (ah... but then, that's the american way ain't it?)

So... I've got to get out my tools and start carving some leather today... 'bout time I got the Wedding present created...

Still in Montana...
Brian

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Moving Back to a full RV Boondocking Camp Today...

 It's time to get back into the "Bush" again.

I parked the rig here, in Big Larch Campground to reduce the possible "issues" while I was gone on the ride.
Make sure there was water with easy availability and the Outhouses... in case of a problem... etc. Now the ride is done, and it's past the weekend, so it's time to get gone from here.

We've got ten days or so 'fore we'll need to take off for Colorado, so it's past time to get back fully Boondocked... and... having found a storage yard where we can safely park the rig while we're gone, we don't want to haul off too far from here either...

Just up the road a few miles from Seeley Lake, we located a National Forest Road... and a few hundred yards off the highway, is a nice little spot, down along the river that feeds out of Lake Alva and I believe down into Lake Inez.

It's got good sun, better then here. Since we haven't started the generator here... I'm guessing we won't need to there. :) fact is... I can't remember when I ran it last... Amazing how well just 270 watts of panels charges the battery bank...I'd originally planned twice that plus a bit.

It's a pretty rare occasion when the batteries have gone below 12.4 volts too... which according to my charts and figures is only about a 20% discharge... maybe a little more... Probably why we're well into I believe their fifth year.

Squeezing all the juice out of the orange I guess. :)

For working, I'd figured I'd need to run out every other day or so to fire off a post... as the signal up that way gets pretty spotty... but the phone actually worked down in there... so it just might turn out to be a 100%'er! We shall see...

Even if it had weak signal it would be a squared away camp if I had my antennae... still haven't found the replacement for the one I tore off the roof a few weeks back... Nowhere local has had one in stock, and I'm slow on "ordering" things I guess... I can use my rinky dink magnetic antennae that I used as primary for more then a year... and still have as a back up... so all is not lost :)

Time to get back to work... and a lot of work to do...

Brian

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Chore Day... or How Come it Gets So expensive... to live Cheap? :)

Running hard to catch up...

So... If you're living, and working... as a full time RV Boondocker and wandering Biker Cowboy... is it still a Vacation when you climb on the Scooter and take off for six days? :)

Having been gone for the week and much of my "electronics" crapping out along the way... had much to do to get squared away... I know... Folks say "electronics" aren't so important... and maybe for most folks they aren't...

For me? The durn things have gotten to be pretty demanding... since a goodly chunk of my subsistence is dependent on my ability to "plug in"... I've got lil' choice but to keep things hummin'... and that... is sometimes, a costly deal.

The most critical "repair" was my Droid phone... which didn't make the two year contract... now, why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway, that sucker is dead. As in... Medium sized, expensive, paper weight.

So much of the middle afternoon was spent at the Verizon milk store... getting it replaced...

Yeah, I said "Milk Store"... cuz you walk in there and they must think you're a cow... cuz they sure do milk a fella. We gave maybe 4 gallons...

But, I did walk out of there with a brand spanking new Droid Incredible by HTC... Oh Wow! Such Excitement! HooYa! I'm giddy! an "Incredible!!!"..... yeah.... right...

Why don't they just call it a Cell Phone? I mean... it seems to be a really good phone... lots of bells and whistles... but... Incredible? ... That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

Re-phoned and poorer, we got it done along with a late lunch date at Famous Daves, needed supply stops at Wally World and Costco... Then fought our way out of the Traffic in Missoula. Uh... WOW!... Missoula ain't that big a town... but Oh Lordy... do they have BIG TRAFFIC down there!

... Made us real ready to get back to camp!

We've got to move maybe Sunday... so finding the place to go... is on the docket for today.

Had a lil' bit of luck yesterday. Though we've had the offer to park the rig over near Big Timber, when we go back to Colorado for a wedding at the end of the Month... we stumbled across a storage yard right here in Seeley Lake that'll let us park it there for twenty bucks.

Considering it's nearly 600 miles over and back... and a whole lot cheaper then hauling over to Big Timber... and then all the way back west when we get back from the wedding... (we're planning on running up Northwest again) it only makes sense to leave the rig around here...

Getting a late start today too... spent much of the morning carving a quick video from some of the clips I filmed on my Motorcycle Cruise to the Black Hills... it's posted over on Ribbon of Highway.

...as always... the hurrieder I go... the behinder I get...
Brian

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The Raider Has Returned to the Eagle From It's Travels...

We rolled something like 1800 miles in six days... turning a ride to the Black Hills into just that, a ride To, the Black Hills...

The way it turned out, the going and coming used up so much time, zigging and zagging through Montana and Wyoming; making a 650 mile or so ride from Seeley Lake to Spearfish something over 900 miles :) that due to commitments we all had, on down the road, we left ourselves little time to actually ride those Black Hills! :)

*The Bikes I was chasing, through Spearfish Canyon*

This picture above, kind of says a little bit of what the trip was like for me... It kind of pulls your eye up and away from the bikes in front of me... I found myself rolling and leaning through Bear Tooth Pass, Over the Big Horns... even through some nasty sidewind east of Gillette... with my vision torn between the road and bikes in front of me...

*Following the Goldwing Down of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming*

... and the country all around that we were rolling through...

That's the paradox of a motorcycle I guess... It requires, It Demands, your complete attention... yet the reason you are there, to see, to feel, to breathe, to Know, the country you're riding through... is calling out to you every mile... pulling your concentration away from that Ribbon of Highway and your Motorcycle.

*Looking out across the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming*

Rode past this view from the Medicine Wheel atop the Big Horns, looking out over a camp that Heidi and I used a couple years back on an earlier trip. This is after you climb Alternate 14... Which you Don't Want to do... either way... If your rig and your abilities aren't up to par... That is One, Steep, piece of Asphalt...

... I mean... when a Motorcycle that will peel me off the seat, with the wind it makes... can feel the grade... It's Steep! :)

So now I'm back... way behind on my work and chores... and adding to 'em... Now I gotta build a trip Video for myself and Kerry and Daryl ... hmmm... I wonder if I spelled that right? :) as well as write up the balance of the trip on  A Ribbon of Highway... so I better go try to start moving in the direction of catching up!

Got behind on posting along the way... due in large part to the electronic "failures" I had... the phone I was using to post... had it's charger die... then the phone itself died... along with the pocket inverter I need to charge the lil' acer laptop... going AWOL... so... No shortage of chores to get done! :)

The Bike is Parked... and I'm Trying to Put My Heart Back In To Working! :)
Brian

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On The Road for Deadwood

The guys rolled in late Friday. Had a BBQ Chicken supper, roasted Smores and went to Bed for a Saturday morning departure.

Rolled out Saturday morning about 9 AM to ride something in the order of 330 miles and decided late in the day to spend the night in a rented bed :)

Hopefully it's  not one those bed bugged places you hear about on the tube :)

Tomorrow the plan is to roll down over Beartooth pass and east toward Deadwood.

Not having the aircard ... along with a lack of ambition tonight has kept me from posting any pics. :)

A good ride and a tired puppy
Brian

Keeping Busy on Foot... Hiking Montana... While I Wait on The Bikers to Show Up...

Linkin' up got pushed off a day or so I guess... A lil' slow goin' north of the Border I guess... They should be arriving tomorrow I think...

In the meantime... rather then doin' my work... Like I should be :) and gettin' that next book finished... been wearing some rubber off boot soles.

Took about a five mile walk up to Morrell Falls yesterday and something around two and half miles around Clearwater Lake today... all on the Lolo National Forest.

The trail into the falls is a nice walk through some pretty thick forest... peering off into the woods... cringing at every lil' thump and bump...  knowin' for sure and for certain that every tree is hiding either a slavering pack of blood thirsty wolves... or a Grizz with a bad attitude...

... guess they ain't never run into an arthritic cowboy with a bad case of the... Don't Bother Me's! :)

The falls are exceedingly tough to photograph... What's supposed to be a double falls, has so much water comin' down this year, that you really have to look close to be able to see the space twixt the two... and there's so much spray... you can't keep a camera lens clear...

There was parts of the falls that maybe show the atmosphere up there a lil' better... If you just look at the small part...

All along the way, there's small lil' views... that a hiker needs to take time to see... they tend to get swallowed up by the more spectacular whole, all around you...

There's things most guys really don't want folks sayin' out in public... like... "He's got bugs." ... and to defend my reputation... I probably shouldn't be runnin' 'round... entertaining Butterflies...

*I Wonder if Mark and Bobbie Designed their hats as Butterfly Bait?*

This BUGger... got his portrait taken... then left... and came back for a second sitting... with me ordered "Don't Move!"... good thing butterfly wings don't BBQ like Buffalo Wings!

Today... we went a bit farther North... with both these trails being just outside the west boundry of "The Bob"... that being... The Bob Marshall Wilderness area.

Starting out downslope headed for Clearwater Lake, we went  through an area that would seem to deny the advisement I got a couple weeks ago that Beargrass is fairly rare...

*Beargrass above  Clearwater Lake in Montana*

There don't seem to be a shortage in Montana :) ... wonder if it's just less common where 'UpriverDavid' is at? Had this view, 360 degrees goin' through here...

The only problem we do seem to be havin' 'round here is violatin' the rule against feeding the wildlife... We just can't help it... They're so persistent!

But... as a result of that consistent violation of Federal regulations, they might just could find the empty husk of what used to be a somewhat noisy and opinionated, blogging cowboy biker... layin' out in the woods...

'cause the skeeters here are gonna drink me dry!!! :) Used 17 gallons of Bug repellent so far... have 29 more on order... If you're headed to this country this year... bring all you can haul! :)

But... you have to sacrifice to get to see some things... you just can't get these from down on the asphalt... or even up on the back road, dirt road... ya gotta git out'n walk! :)

*Fishermen on Clearwater Lake*

... and here's a nice one... Remember that first part on the Home page of the Main site?... Where I talk 'bout hearing the Loons in your camp? Well... those "Common Loons" aren't so common any more. Read somewhere that there are only 20 or 30 breeding pairs left in the whole of Montana! Didn't see a second... but here's one of those swimmers... maybe there's another, off tending a few Loon chicks somewhere...

Wish this feathered fish hunter would have let loose with a call while we walked past... That would have been awesome... You know you're in wild country when you see one of these... Suh-Wheet...

*Looking across Clearwater Lake toward the Bob Marshall Wilderness*

So... Here I am, waiting on a long bike ride to the Dakotas... Yet, I find myself torn... pulled in three different directions...

There's so much country like this to hold a fellas attention, to be walked in, and photographed... but calling for that same attention... are so many stories waiting to be written, rattling ever more noisily in my head (I hear voices!)  :)

... and 20 feet away, competing just as hard for attention, tucked under the nose of the fiver... sits an awesome motorcycle whispering to me... "oh brian... Oh Brian! Let's go split the wind!" :)

I feel like a split personality some days... so many hungers... and only so much me! :)

Ah well... It's a pretty nice Difficulty for a guy to be saddled with, don't you think?

Still in Montana... Going Three Directions at Once...
Brian

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Riding For the Black Hills

The Raider is loaded up and I've only got a few more chores to do to be ready to leave.

The other two Riders making the ride are linking up today in Idaho. They should ride in here tomorrow.

I need to leave the Verizon air card here for Heidi to use... and I want to really make an effort to see if I can make this lil' Droid smart phone do the job. I'm taking the Acer to use on WiFi as a backup... but really hope to make the Droid do the posting job.

So... at this point I'm just sitting in the shade waitin' on the other "Old Guys".

Oh yeah... almost forgot... since I'll be on the bike... I'll be doing most if not all of my posting over on A Ribbon of Highway (My Motorcycle Blog) so... you can click on over there to see what's happening for the next week or so

Ready to put it in the Wind in Montana
Brian

Same Old Same Old...

You move to a new camp... and you miss the old one... That camp on the Bitterroot will be a remembered camp...

The long views... the quiet... even with the soft sound of the travelers on the highway, far below... to me... that's much like the sound of a far off freight train... calling to your wanderlust in the night...

There was something to fill your eyes and your soul... in every direction...

... even if you kept your eyes pretty close, and didn't look off at the far views...

This new camp at Seeley Lake, is  a lot closer... "Big Larch" is on the bank of the lake... in a forest of Larch trees...

... A different atmosphere...

Yeah... this camp view is a lil' different then the last one, huh?

ah well... a guy has to learn to let each one "talk" to him with its own "conversation" I guess... and this one does have plenty of it's own personality...

Even a lake ringed with fire!

The Community put on a pretty nice display over the lake last night... complimented by a a "Few" thousand dollars of "Private" fireworks... that shot out over the water till darn near midnight... boom FLASH! boom FLASH! boom FLASH! ... all around the lake... kind crazy :)

Guess I better get after it... I got lot to get ready today... Have to make sure the camp is squared away for a week with out me doin' my chores...

... and... I'd kinda like to do some more kickin' back... in the warm that's finally got to Montana!

Keep on Keepin' on People :)
Brian

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