4811 (four thousand eight hundred and eleven)

MILES!!

13 days, 2 National Parks, 1 battlefield, at least one national monument, big horn sheep, mountain goats, moose, elk, deer, buffalo, antelope . . . but, alas, no grizzlies, aside from my cousins who are rabid University of Montana fans GO GRIZ!! And, except for the ones that stretched forever across eastern Colorado and western Kansas, I want to remember every single one of them--the miles, and the rest too.

AND, I got my shot(s) to submit for the knitty.com calendar. The girls really got into the fun of being models .

AND, had a few ideas of their own

The trip was epic in terms of miles, scenery, experience and emotion. I cannot express strongly enough how I HATED it when we moved away from Montana when I was a kid. That has been a life long feeling. In the long spells between trips back, I convince myself that life is better for me here. However, I'm not entirely sure that is true.


Anyway, I am wallowing in a post-vacation-to-Montana-funk while I scheme about how I might manage to find myself living there. So far the best idea I've come up with is to fake my own death, obtain the insurance proceeds, and go live in the mountains. I do see a few problems with that plan and I am willing to consider that it is probably not the best idea I've ever come up with. I'm not finished pondering the matter so I might think of a better plan, maybe even one that does not involve a prison term.

In the meantime, I'll share a few shots from the trip.

Everyone who visits gets a decent photo of Mt. Rushmore--how 'bout this one, taken just outside of the ladies' room.

We saw encouraging signs along the way

and encountered road work

We did not pick up these unsavory hitchikers they were cute but looked too horny (arghhh sorry)

We had a family reunion featuring smokin' cousins, uncles and a potato gun

Oh YES!!! There was beer

and SNOW and cold water and huckleberry pie

But too soon the fun was over and we were left with our memories and photos.

And, that's the end of the trail