This morning I opted not to return to Yellowstone and headed north on Route 89 from Gardiner towards Livingston. The scenery began to change dramatically, and the beautiful Yellowstone River ran parallel to the road for a long distance where part of its flow channeled through a canyon.
In Livingston, I stopped for some fruit, snacks, film, and gas before picking up Route 90 west towards Bozeman, Butte, and Missoula. The terrain changed from brown rolling hills and mountains to peaks covered in lodgepole pines, and eventually the Rocky Mountains in the distance.
The drive was easy, and I never tired of the passing scenery. Montana is just as beautiful as Wyoming and Idaho. Visually, I could see why Montana is called "big sky" country, but I don't understand why the sky here looks so much larger and more overpowering. It just seems to wrap itself around the horizon, embracing everything in its orbit.
As I proceeded on Route 90 west, a lone tumbleweed suddenly blew across the road in front of me and other oncoming cars -- it rolled and bounced its way to the grassy medial strip. It made me giggle because I immediately saw an analogy between that tumbleweed and the attitude of taking risks and having fun. Tumble where ye may!
About 40 miles south of Missoula, I stopped briefly at a rest area. As soon as I parked, I saw a large bird with a white tail soaring overhead. As it came closer, I could see its white head and knew it was a mature male bald eagle. Suddenly I saw a second eagle, and the two of them flew in close proximity, twice attacking each other and tumbling in the sky like planes doing aerobatics. I'm assuming it was a territory issue, and they eventually disappeared over the mountain.
I'm settled into my room here at Mountain Valley Inn in Missoula and will be driving the last leg of my journey tomorrow to Somers, Montana to visit an old friend from Shippensburg I haven't seen in about 34 years. I'll be staying with Katy and her husband until Wednesday morning when I depart for home from the airport at Kalispell.
Keep in touch! Love to all --
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