Missoula, MT

We made it to Missoula, Mt-big sky country! However, there are forest fires in Idaho and some parts of Mt. and so Missoula is under a cloud of smoke--not exactly a big sky feeling. It's about 90 degrees but very low humidity and so it's comfortable. We enjoyed spending some time in Buffalo, WY--saw some of the great spots in the Big Horn Mts. yesterday. Today, we drove 520 miles which is a record for us--the trip was beautiful-saw lots of deer, antelope, mountains, rivers, big cattle ranches, etc. I kind of missed the Wall Drugstore signs-- NOT!! The KOA here is quite large, pleasant, has a nice pool, trees, etc. It's sort of like being in a motel in that it's really not a campground as you usually picture campgrounds--what am I trying to say?? Anyway, we'll spend the day tomorrow here as well--an interesting mountain town-kind of like Boulder, CO. We'll probably do some biking-they have lots of trails along the Clark Fork River. On Saturday, we hope to drive 160 miles to Cour d'lene, ID, and spend a few days there. We hope all is well with our family and friends.

Finally Out West

We are in Buffalo, Wyoming and finally it feels like we are "out west". The vistas are grand and wide open and not all cluttered up with trees and buildings. The air is fresh and just smells great, especially the pine trees. You can look down the highway and see where you will be in 15 minutes. You can watch the weather as is sweeps across the sky. Yesterday it was still 90 degrees at 8 pm but tonight you need a jacket and an extra blanket, make for great sleeping. It's not so cold that it keeps Joy from not wanting ice cream. She's off right now to the campground's ice cream social which is a double whammy with both ice cream and a social. That's my Joy.

We've had a great trip and driving the rig with the new truck is a dream. Both the mileage and diesel fuel prices are a bit of a disappointment but the power and comfort more than make up for it. The long hills are easy.

Well here she comes and she decided to forego the ice cream and the social. The was only one old guy and she actually decided she didn't need ice cream.

Joy deeply regrets that she placed Dan's childhood in South Dakota instead of where it belongs in Minnesota. Your talking about only 10 miles or so but I guess that's important.

The Mitchell Cornpalace

Now it's my turn to write--we're in Mitchell, SD which has the only cornpalace in the entire world. After readng the road signs for miles, Rich and I took a vote and decided 2-zip not to bother going there although we'll probably ride past it on our way out of town tomorrow. The pics are of Hills, SD, and specifically the former Bajema farm--Dan, we're impressed with the countryside altho there aren't very many shopping centers around!! We're having good travels so far--I'm glad that Vicks has been convicted for dog fights and thata Gonzales resigned. Other than those two things and lots of farm country, I don't have much more to say for today. Tomorrow we're heading to Buffalo, Wy where we'll stay for two nights. Weather is hot, bowels are good!
Love, Joy and Rich

Getting Ready for trip to Kennewick, WA

Well it's been a little crazy since we discovered the fresh water system wasn't working last Monday. Seems like some critter decided to make a lunch of the hose between the tank and the pump. A trip to the RV dealer and they said we were looking at a $300-$500 bill to fix it. Made Joy and my eyes roll. So with the advice from the dealer we decided to take it on ourselves. Tom in the service department proved to be a great resource and we bugged him a lot but he was very patient. Disconnected propane lines and finally got the under belly down and removed the wet insulation. Took all day to get this done. Joy was a champ and I wish I had gotten some pictures of her crawling around under the trailer. She had a few "what have I gotten myself into marrying this man" moments but those moments happen somewhat frequently. Could not get the hose clamp off of the hose end on the tank but stuck with it with a few suggestions from Tom and finally got it done the next day. Then it's back up with the underbelly and the spare tire winch got all jammed up but another trip to Tom got that straightened out. I hope the rest of the preparations are more uneventful. We hope to be off on Sunday and make it to mid Wisconsin the first day. I hooked it all up to the new truck and took it for a ride yesterday and it works great. If it stops raining long enough I will try to get a picture of the new rig.

We are really looking forward to the family reunion with Earl and Cathy and their families. Aunt Bonnie will be down from Olympia to help celebrate Kayla's birthday #2 on September 7. We haven't been to Kennewick for a long time.