Across the Wide Missouri to Malta

We left Hungry Horse bound for Sydney Montana with just under two weeks to get there and no real "plan" on route or stops... just go where it feels right.

The first possibility was a short haul to a spot on the southeast border of Glacier... but as we approached that... the little voice just whispered; "Keep Rolling" ... and so I did.

We ended up asphalt boondocking at the Great Falls Wally World resort after a few stops for some supplies and a software program I needed to replace so I can get this next Novel published...

The next morning found us bound for the Missouri River above Lewistown. There's a BLM camp there on the river right beside hwy 191... it's only real drawback was zero signal...

The Missouri is quite a change from the rivers and lakes of western Montana and Idaho. There you look down into crystal water... the Missouri? If it would stop flowing I believe you could plant corn in it.

With all the muddy water running lazily down that stream the other day... and knowing how long it's been flowin'... it' a wonder there's any of Montana that hasn't already been carried down to the gulf!

*The Missouri Breaks*

*The Missouri River ~ Keel Boat Highway of the Mountain Men*

Just a mile up the highway and four or five back in along the river is an area of the Charles Russle Wildlife Refuge that the elk use this time of year for their annual amorous pursuits. We fought skeeters the size of beagles that were so thick four tourists were hauled off in ambulances from blood loss...

while I tried to capture some photographs...

This here isn't like down in Rocky Mountain National Park... these guys pretty much hung back in the timber along the river and made capturing a portrait kind of iffy...

Any other time I'd have just laid up for a couple of days... but we were expecting contact from our future beet picking employers...

... so I thought we should move on in the morning to get back into a service area...

... That and with a 1000 year storm tearing up our home country in Colorado and threatening family and Friends, I just wasn't willing to be out of contact more than overnight.

So on we rolled and found signal just a bit south of Malta... and a $3 a day park on the edge of this lil' Montana Burg.

*Malta, Montana community Park*

Not a bad spot... even if it is so badly crowded as you can see...

Even had some neighbors for a few hours...

 Some folks were hauling some mares and colts from somewhere to somewhere else...

Part of the park is the local fairgrounds/Rodeo arena setup.

They pulled in here to give the horses a break from the road and move around on ground that wasn't moving around under them!

 This is starting to be an issue... One I hadn't expected...

Horses...

I'd moved "away" from them the last few years in that old life... with life having got a hold of parts of me I never should have allowed...

Now... more and more... I find a longing for the feel of a horse under me again...

I'm telling you... it's a difficult thing to be a split personality with so many of the personalities totally ignorant of the existence of all the others!

Well, in amongst all of that, Contact got made with the Beet Pickers... and when they heard how close we were they said; "Well come on over and we'll put you to work!" sooooo... next Monday we'll be goin' to work 'bout a week earlier than we'd thought... which won't do any damage to the poke at all.

While sitting here I've put together the first signature block of the first Journal in my Leather Shop restart effort...

*Signatures being stitched*

*Completed Signature Block*

Now all I have to do is find the leather to carver the cover... not an easy task in these small towns it seems...

So... with that lil' project suspended for lack of materials... I went to work carving on the Cover for my Newest Novel, to take a break from editing... and can't decided which one I prefer...

Since I'm straddling the fence of indecision... and wearing a hole in a sensitive spot on my new wranglers...

... I'll probably take most of the day off and go check out the Charles Russell Memorial... and maybe Fort Peck Dam...

That'll help the aches of Cowboyin' nostalgia I'm sure!

Oh lordy... I wonder if I'll ever learn to NOT stir the pot?

Till that joyous day... I guess I'll just keep on ridin' out the storms as they come up...

Saddling Up another day

~ Brian