Eat your heart out Lou

Things go at a much slower pace up here in Montana, so much so, that I forgot my loose commitment to provide you all with commentary on our trip.  We had a great trip in the park with my grandparents.  The highlights were seeing a bear cub from about a 5 feet away, a spicy pear salad with mixed field greens, glazed walnuts, cambozla cheese, and a balsamic glaze, as well as a ghost haunting me at the Lake Hotel until I finally was able to pass out at 2am.  It was frightening and delicious stuff folks.  We even researched the Lake Hotel in a bookstore, only to find out that 6 ghosts actually haunt the hotel, including ex-president Calvin Coolidge.  Strange.  


We left the park through the west exit, stopping to have unbelievably delightful ice cream cones in West Yellowstone.  On the way back to Big Timber, our Yukon XL was batted around the road like an apple red vespa.  A storm was rolling in from the Northwest, and with it came 70mph bursts of wind.  As the driver of this leg of our journey, I deeply knuckled the steering wheel and just tried to keep things as straight as possible.  We made it home just moments before a tumultuous hail storm blanketed the yard in atmospheric ice cubes.  Just one pegged grandpa in the head while he docked the queen under some cover.


On Friday, I went fly fishing with grandpa while Kristin spent the afternoon on the computer.  Loser.  We ate dinner at the wonderful Grand Hotel with Sonja and Ken as well as my grandparents.  The Grand Hotel has a magnificent dining room with one of the top chefs in Montana.  We were served lobster rellenos, spicy shrimp cocktail, kassari cheese flambe, and spinach salad dusted with crumbled Gorgonzola.  Yum.  The Grand Hotel has proudly been serving cattlemen, railroad men, miners, sheepherders, and travelers since 1890.  It is a great historic place.


Saturday, we did nothing,  but had a lovely dinner in the evening at the house.


Finally, we get to today, Sunday.  The day began with numerous desserts and brunch at the Grand Hotel.  We then took the long trip up the boulder to visit Pete and Carol.  They have a beautiful home right on the Boulder River, and a gorgeous pooch by the name of Brooke.  We decided that we want to set Brooke up with Kristin's golden Lou.  They are a great match.  We had a great time talking with Carol, Sonja, and my grandmother about traveling to Africa.  Kristin and I really want to visit the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and Carol was telling us about her daughters trip out there last year.  Sounds very dangerous but interesting.  Pete and Carol make their own cherry strudels, even picking and pitting the cherries themselves, needless to say, they are delicious.


Tonight, Kristin and I went to eat at the The Grand Hotel and accidentally met up with our friend Dan Rostad for dinner.  We met another couple from Dallas, The Salazars.  I was telling them about running into Michael Keaton at The Grand Hotel many years ago when he was "Batman."  I was then quietly informed that he was sitting about 5 feet away from me, definitely within earshot.  I looked over at him, and he sort of shrugged and looked away.  It was pretty hilarious and a little surreal.

Fishing at Big Rock

I caught nothing, but on a day this gorgeous who cares

Trying to find the fishing spot

Casting at Big Rock

Saw this little guy on the way home

Buddy

On the way to Pete and Carol's

Kristin meeting Brooke

Jeez, leave me alone lady

At this point she was trying to figure a way to set Brooke up with lou

Goofing off

Fetch

Peter's work shed

The Boulder River - mighty fine fishing

Flag

Brooke

Bear safe trash can

Looks like this everywhere

The Grand Hotel