Mellow in Montana

We’ve enjoyed two days of rest from our travels-decompressing at a friends’ ranch in Montana. They took us up into the hills to see an old “buffalo jump;” an area where Native Americans  ran herds of buffalo through a narrow canyon and over a hidden ledge… just far enough to kill them but not so much as to mutilate such a precious commodity. Such resourceful people, and so incredibly in tune with nature. 

We’re right on the Big Hole River which the natives used to transport the animals’ hides, meat et all. We are using it to swim & cool off from a lovely lazy day’s work- riding, fishing, roping, spear making, and to the boys’ great pleasure: driving the Kawaski. Had best-ever BBQ for dinner in downtown Dillon last night and digested afterward at a local roping competition where we saw some serious athletic prowess; it put our feeble attempts to rope the “dummy bull” to shame.

We’re back on the road now-heading into the blazes (hmmm) to what we’re told is a very smoky Sun Valley. Praying for rain and containment of the dozen wildfires raging in Idaho…. 6.5 million acres have burned in the west this year. Big(ger) country, big(ger) issues!