The sun shining in the window was a welcome gift on Wednesday morning. Outside, everything was dripping as the snow melted. After breakfast, we took a walk downtown with our "to get" list. The first stop was the local post office where we mailed a very special gift to Larry's sister, Linda. Sorry, couldn't post pictures or what it is because she reads this too! Maybe she will send us a pic when she gets it...and figures out what it is!
Our next stop was at the local sporting goods emporium. (At this point, erase any thoughts of Dick's or Appalachian Outfitters.) We opened the door and were greeted by large, Chocolate Lab and the overwhelming aroma of pipe smoke. The store room is long and narrow, the walls decorated with assorted game "trophies" including several wild turkeys (or parts there-of) mounted onto a turkey-body-shaped piece of varnished wood. The owner, "Squeak" emerged from the back room to greet us. I was going to describe his appearance and the clothes he was wearing. I even asked Larry for input and he couldn't put it into words either. I guess you might say, he was as unusual as the mounted turkeys. Actually, you frequently find unusual folks in this great state. However, he was really nice and very happy to answer Larry's questions about fly fishing and how to get a Montana license.
This rifle was hanging by the door. Larry thinks it is a 30 06. Squeak uses it when he teaches classes on gun safety. Apparently a teenager had the gun out hunting in the winter, got snow in the barrel but didn't clean it out before hanging it on the rack in his truck. So...when he took out the gun again to shoot...BOOM. He is alive and well...and a very, lucky, young man!
Walking home from our errands, we took a new street and saw this really cool, extremely old RV. Larry thinks it's got to be from the 1950's. Since they use little or no salt on roads out here, there are old vehicles EVERYWHERE and many with bodies in mint condition. They don't have historic plates either because people still drive them.
This picture is especially for our little neighbor, Lainey, who keeps asking when Larry and Mary are coming home. Here's a special "howdy" from Larry, the fishing cowboy!
Wow, the day turned into a real beauty, so we got our bikes and headed south on Greenhouse Road. One thing we have found to be nice is that absolutely everyone seems to have one or more dogs and 99% are in fenced yards. The city of Deer lodge has very strict dog regulations. We have seen dog doors in houses and garages and fenced yards or kennels, but no dogs tied out on chains. Dogs can run free on their owner's property, not anywhere else. Outside of town, most dogs have been confined or may bark but don't leave their property. Our ride into the country brought one exception.
We were riding along enjoying the sunshine and scenery. Off to our left in the distance, we saw a couple men doing some digging with a backhoe. About the same time, we heard the obvious call of a coon dog echoing from somewhere far down the hill.
As we moved on, the sound kept getting louder and louder. We really weren't too concerned because the dog could not possibly catch us from so great a distance.
Just as we neared the crossroad and end of the field, there he was! Even more astounding...he has only three legs!!
Once he saw us and we talked to him, he decided we were harmless, but would not cooperate for a picture. I guess I was being insensitive to his disability since very time he was in position for me to see his left side, he turned away.
Finally, he just plopped down in the cool, newly-plowed earth. I think his sprint up the hill pooped him out.
We rode on down the hill and stopped to decide which road to take. We heard vehicles coming and turned to see a large, house trailer approaching the intersection we had just vacated. As the trailer turned the corner to head up the hill away from us, the dog was back on his three feet and going after it, howling all the way. Even though the vehicles were moving much faster than he, the dog was persistent. At that moment, we both realized how he lost that leg! The last we saw of him was that "hitch-e-ty" gait and wagging tail as he disappeared over the crest of the hill.
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