Well, I made it to Skagway intact (not spayed or damaged) on 9APR. It was like a breath of fresh air getting here! I really felt like I was home, for real this time. Montana was great, but a lot happened right before I said my so longs to the state!
Let me list the series of events that happened right before I got here.
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| This is what happened |
Trixie, my baby girl, my car, took her life to save mine on the 18MAR on my way to work. My sister's 35th B-day. Happened at 0600, due to- well, it was totally my fault. Slick-ish roads and I was going too fast. The trooper was nice and gave me a ticket. I totally deserved it and he was surprised that I was cool about it. I told him, "I would rather be able to pay the $85 than pay for a funeral." A lot of accidents that have happened there end up a fatality. Pretty sure Nana and Mum were watching out for me. Nana cushioned me while Mum slapped me on the back of the head! Nothing happened to me at all. Funny thing, that day of doing tours, which I missed, my teacher from Brooks Institute was on a tour! Eliot, I wish I got to see you! Great teacher and made learning fun, wasn't the usual stiff.
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| This is where is happened, but headed in the other direction |
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| Yup, it's a dead tree |
Last day of tours for me was the 20MAR. We only had an afternoon tour so I went into town and got some things done and went to have coffee with "the boys." (Jim, JJ, Robert and Rick, a burly man that looks taller then he is and always has a deal) Had a few laughs about me crashing my car, scraping up my face at Chico Hot Springs, comments I had said to tourists... not bad ones, but basically they wanted to get in a few jabs before I left.
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| Lone Peak and Fan Mountain. Wish I had my good camera that day! |
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| My baby Bria, I am going to miss you so... |
I asked JJ to drive the trailer up. Didn't want to really drive that rig after my accident and I am pretty sure JJ didn't want to drive with me after that! Did my last tour. Just two sleds. Guide sled and the guest sled and no one in my sled wanted to drive. I was kind of glad because I didn't want anything to happen my last day of tours. Finished up my day and we packed up and headed down the mountain. I made JJ stop at a couple spots, I wanted to take some photos of some spots I always would look at on our way to and from work. Then back to the house we went and unloaded the pups, fed em, cleaned up and got the meals ready for the pups for the next day.
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| Bria and Gracie in lead |
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| Trisha and I at The Longbranch |
Had to go to The Longbranch in Ennis, Montana to say so long to the GREAT people that I had met. Lori and Wally are the owners, Wally wasn't there, their daughter Trisha, who is sweet as honey and tells it like it is (gotta love that), Rachel and Jesse, another good couple with great kids, Lou, what a great lady she is and such a character and some random stragglers that I had met along the way. Said my so longs and went on my way to pack the rest of my belongings... in my rental car.
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| Blake and Alyssa showing me the correct way to do the pretzel |
Packed the rest of my car and headed to Missoula to see Alyssa before I left for Alaska. Needed to get some jitterbug in before I left. Alyssa and her roommate Blake taught me how to jitterbug when I first got to Montana. While there in Missoula this time, they tried teaching me how to play tennis with their new roommate Marcus. Tennis is all about control... yeah about that... and well, I hit the ball too hard and don't do well with things that are small (hence Lenny from of Mice and Men... thanks Scott/Russ). After we played a bit, I "got into the swing of things." We were supposed to go snowboarding, but I am kind of glad we didn't... We got home and got ready for a night of DANCING!!! What a great night we had! Lots of dancing, one guy danced so fast, I thought I was going to throw up! Next stop... Dancing with the Stars!!!
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Well, she's about the size of a basketball.
Mike holding his friend Adam and Kate's baby after the game. |
Next day, headed to Lincoln, Montana for a couple days for a basketball tournament. My friend Mike was playing in it and needed another player... or so they thought. I was ready to show them how it was done and shred up that court... kidding, but they ended up being fine. Saturday night we went to, the girls that is, the fireman's ball and I danced with the kids and managed to get some jitterbugging in, then we went back to the hotel and grabbed everyone. The whole gaggle of us went out and enjoyed the local talent that was out and about with us. I met a couple that worked in Skagway and that is where they had met. Even though the team lost their games, we all made the best of it and had a great time.
Drove to Helena the next day to take care of the Turner's critters where Alyssa had been watching them for a couple nights. Took a scenic drive down Route 200 I believe to Helena. That's were the unabomber had a cabin. So sheik! No we didn't stop. Pretty area though! The whole way I was telling Mike how awesome the burgers were at The York Bar and how I was going to eat the hell out of one when we got there. Well, we got there and I did. Tina and Dave were there, Dave is the one that taught me how to gut and skin a deer, and it was great to see them. Finally... I was going to be staying in one place for a while and not have to worry about traveling all over. I felt like I was on tour, but it was great to come back to an area that felt like home. I missed everyone and wanted to just stop for a bit and collect myself.
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| Back to the Turner's for a bit |
More later... this is enough for right now!!!
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