fall vaca

I'm currently sitting in Livingston, Montana enjoying a cup of joe and an everything bagel at the Coffee Crossing, which might be the smallest coffee house I've been in to date. I'm not sure it is dog friendly but if it were Buddha would occupy ALL of the free space. There is character and flavor packed into every nook and cranny, pretty neat.

Missoula is my destination, once again, and I've until Monday night to get there. I left Billings Friday afternoon and drove to Red Lodge where I enjoyed spinach enchiladas and Happy Hour margaritas in a local place named Bogart's. After supper I began constructing my sleeping structure under a nearby street lamp while there was snow melting across the sidewalk. I've got my wood, pipe, and tools splayed out across the road and sidewalk and a local couple (nick and jessica) approach me and ask what I'm doing. As Buddha is eating Jessica's hand I give them a brief synopsis of who I am and what I do.

What great people. They invited me over and gave me a bed for two nights. They are the first legit friends I have made since I've been in Montana and it is encouraging as hell. Nick is a former college soccer player from the University of Portland and now he works with the forest service in the summer and patrols the mountain during ski season. Jessica is from Canada and is in marketing for the local ski resort. All in all... good people. Oh! Buddha made two friends as well. Nelly who is a little Golden and Ace who is a big, big Black Lab. There was a lot of tri-racial love/hate going on.

Since leaving Red Lodge this morning I've been dodging mountain ranges while driving along I-90. I'll hopefully make it to Butte before the sun goes down and then see how well the sleep is in the Element.

It is windy as shit and I'm literally being blown around Big Sky.