Montana Big Sky Country

 At last Montana and I remember why I love it.  The sky is big, the landscape is expansive. Montana gives the feeling  of wide open spaces and possibilities.

 The camp host at Stoddard Creek told me I must stop at this Calf-A.  Cafe?? in Dell, Montana.

It's very quirky.

 Pie is there speciality!  I had Ruharb and berries.  Yum!  And Betty, they have an oatmeal pie that tastes like pecan pie.  Sounds good.

Onward through Big Sky Country.

 I stopped in Dillon where John and my son Matt had many relatives.  The maternal side of John's family lived in Dillon, Montana.  I also visited there in my early married years.

 This is the drugstore the Mitchell's owned and operated for many years. Matt's Grandmother Winifred worked there as a young woman.  Now sold to Shopko.

I

I arrived at my KOA Campground in Missoula, Montana.  It was as different from last nights Stoddard Creek as I could get.  I planned to go to downtown Missoula tomorrow so wanted to stay in town.

Site K 11.  And Free WiFi and Showers!

 My neighbor,Bill and his tear drop, an 80 year old Doctor from near Sacramento.  He came by with a
nice bottle of red wine to share and talk.  His wife was at home working.  He traveled by himself and was quite a talker.  The wine was excellent.

To Missoula on Sunday.  I went to downtown area and rode the Carousel.  It was all hand made by cabinet maker Chuck Kaparich

 The info center man loved to talk and gave me all kinds of maps and tips of what to do and where to go.

 I loved the Missoula Museum of Art.  They had some good exhibits.  It was free on Sunday.

One year of painting the same scene.  It was so interesting.  I really liked the idea and the paintings.

All 365 paintings were on display.  Jared Shear, the artist worked in animation and used this idea for his plain air paintings.

An artist from Bozeman, Jay Schmidt.

 Jane Waggoner Deschner from the garment series.  She sews quotes onto found photographs.  I was so intrigued by her work.

Louise Lamontagne : My Closet Collection.  These are her prayers or mediations expressed in paint.  She had hidden these paintings in her closet for years believing they were not for others to see.

I liked this collaborative work.  16 artists painted a section of a picture at the top. Showing at the Dana Gallery in town.

Missoula also had three independent book stores with comments about the books, other art galleries, interesting one of a kind shops and lots of fun places to eat.  There were alot of bicycles on the streets.

A very fun college town.  I had a great day wandering around Missoula!