Miles, Fears and Heartbreak

Sitting here safe under a sunny sky in Malta, Montana it's hard.

It's hard being a thousand miles away when those important to you are in trouble and you possess no way to help or soften the fear and heartache they are enduring...

You see the pictures on news and facebook; Roads, Homes and Businesses swept away. Your heart pounds and your guts twist knowing they are in that. The people you think of when you think "Home" are in that... They LIVE on that river. They are BETWEEN those rivers. They have to cross those bridges to get home.

The Big Thompson, The Poudre, The South Platte... all are raging...

*Remains of the Road into Big Thompson Canyon*

Though those close to me are so far all well and safe... there are many whose struggle is just beginning.

*Rescue CH-47 Flying Home through Colorado Sunset*

*My Beloved Poudre Canyon Twisties*

The trial is not yet over, the water that tore apart the mountain towns is now surging across the plains below bringing its burden of struggle and pain to those people. Fort Morgan and Sterling are in the cross hairs. Good friends families have lived for generations there...

Blizzards, tornadoes, then fires and now floods...

Sometimes the fight gets to be too much. You stop and cry. Your heart feels like it's being crushed in a vice... wishing it would all just be over. But then you have no choice. You stand, scrape off the mud and start walking.

My thoughts and heart is with those people whose fight still goes on

~ Brian

Polebridge Mercantile... The Montana Bakery

We used the truck to make the requisite pilgrimage to the Polebridge Mercantile Bakery.

It's getting easier every year. There seems to be less and less gravel road to access the tasty goodies on the edge of the Montana Wilderness. Another year or two and a big Ol' road bike will make the two up ride without complaint!

There are a few risks you have to take to access such fine fare though... Like Yogi...

He was walking down the road far ahead of us and ducked into the regrowth in an old burn as we approached. By the time I'd climbed up on the bed of the truck trying to get an eyeball on him he'd vanished.

I could hear branches popping and snapping as he pushed his way through, but could only see the tops of the four or five foot sapplings wiggle and bounce as he shoved through.

Luckily I had the camera pointed in the right direction when he popped up to take a peek at the two legged pest blocking his road. ;)

But... I had a different sort of Bear Claw in mind...

A Huckleberry Bear Claw to be precise... Which we enjoyed along with a sort of a pita pocket kind of a turkey sandwich... mmmmm goooood.

... that we savored sitting in front of the Northern Lights Saloon.

With famine averted we turned back south and made our way with our 2" too wide Ol' Truck about half way or so up the Going to the Sun Road...

You know... they say no rigs over 21 feet long or 8 feet wide... I think they should also say "Bicycles must be kept on the rack"...

Pedaling two wheels at less than ten miles an hour on a twisting, narrow, steep mountain road... blocking the down hill... refusing to clear the road at the small widespots a bike would fit in... so the brake burning traffic stacking up behind you can safely pass... is a shining example of high IQ.

Sorry... but respect has to go both ways... so... I had two choices... follow along behind for a mile and more... or... pass unsafely...

Kind of funny the glares I got...from the genius blocking the road... for NOT passing unsafely... cute.

Then there was the fella who parked with the wheels of his truck IN the road... flapping his arms at me like a windmill and glaring with indigent soo-peer-ee-ority... 'cause I had the gall to actually... drive past on the roadway! :)

It's a wonder world population can continue to grow... when it seems a heavy majority are so devoid of common sense that they couldn't find their butts if they searched with both hands and a flashlight... while a coroner reads 'em the directions!

Closer to home, after we fought loose from the cagers and pedalers, intensely in need of driving and riding Lessons... and operating well outside of their safe zones of limited ability... annnnnnd the next day... we found a short walk around Lion Lake to contemplate the devolution of the ability to chew gum and walk at the same time...

 This post is coming from an asphalt boondock in Great Falls... We pulled out of Hungry Horse yesterday to continue our journey, bound for Sydney and the joys of generating a living. ;)

Across the Wide Missouri
Brian

A Montana 9/11

Things have been a flyin' round here for a few days...

Sunday morning this fella stopped by for a visit and roosted straight up above our roof. I hadn't grasped the significance of it at the moment. Just thought what a beautiful creature he is.

Now, it seems a bit appropriate on this day... for his feathers to be a little bit ruffled doesn't it?

On this day, as American Bikers demonstrate their loyalty to the Nation in Washington I can only say to those who revile us; If you Don't want to feel the bite of the Eagle's Talons... Don't preach his destruction...

We will never forget.

For with beauty and serenity and treasure such as this...

...That Eagle will never surrender to bigotry, hatred and pseudo-religious stupidities... He will always soar high above us, reaching for truth, justice, courage and integrity.

He will always aspire to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

... those are the Ideals of the Eagle.

Later, below our camp we watched the Osprey...

 It struck me how fitting it is that they are both fishermen...

The world is a place of insanity it seems. But, if you stop and look around you see the truth. Good people working hard and doing good things to overcome the stupidity of the pseudo-leadership that humanity has been cursed with since the beginning of time.

Those men and women put the politically co-opted religions aside; they reach down and with true Faith, take the hand of the one who has fallen and lift him up; be he black, white, yellow, red, brown, female, sick, broken, poor, rich, spirit broken or faithless... They DO the right thing.

That is the power of this land. Not our weapons, our constitution or the phony talking heads that populate and contaminate the propaganda media and government. Our Power is, and always has been... the people in the street. People inculcated with a Lust for Freedom.

People grown with a Heritage of reaching for the impossible.

People who accept their faults but Never stop striving to be better.

Those that speak of the demise of the Eagle should take care. Don't watch the useless and irrelevant baboons that populate world government and world leadearship.

Watch the American People. THEY are the True Eagle.

The power in this world is and always has been the man toiling with true Faith and reverence, to care for his family. He hasn't time for your games. He has work to do. As long as he retains hope that he can do his job and care for his children he will stay at that task. If however you and your sorry excuse for "Causes" threaten the safety and welfare of that family; IF you damage his hope for a better future for his children and grandchildren... IF you attempt to impose your twisted philosophies on he and his...

... Beware the wrath of the Eagle.

Toiling Under the Montana Sky
Brian