I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to Montana. I have loved it here! And I’m really glad I took so many pictures. I don’t want to forget all the fabulous things I’ve seen.
We spent Labor Day Weekend at our friends Steve and Melissa’s cabin on Flathead Lake, as I mentioned before. We also got to know Kyle, Melissa’s brother. He’s been living in an Airstream trailer for the past seven years, all over the country, and this summer he parked the Airstream right next to the cabin.
He’s also a web developer, which is how he’s managed to live almost everywhere (well, everywhere with a strong internet connection). We talked a lot about living small, downsizing, and eating well.
He and Michael even fired up the smoker and cooked up some amazing ribs on Sunday night. I think it was fun for him to talk food with the Chef.
Michael and I went for a trail run, checked out Big Fork and Kalispell, and Michael even threw down with a CrossFit workout.
We had more than a couple bonfires, too. It wasn’t always possible – some nights it rained, and sometimes the wind would blow out of the east, which caused waves to crash on the shore (and on top of the fire pit). But we haven’t had a campfire since Steamboat Springs. It’s been too dry! And I sure as hell don’t ever want to make the news as the idiot who burned down a forest.
So those bonfires at the cabin were fabulous. I even put up the Revel Gear lights to help show the way to the extra firewood.
I’m actually looking forward to sleeping in the tent again… although I’m going to miss that 1960’s stove.
I mean, it was kinda weird to push a button instead of turn a dial, but that stove worked like a champ. I could heat up water for coffee, and then, do it again an hour later for Michael’s coffee. If only Vera were so cooperative.
Both of our pots are scorched and black on the bottom, from all the times Vera gave us a wall of flames instead of that nice blue ring. We’ve talked about replacing Vera… but that would give us 3 stoves (our other propane stove is in the storage unit) and I don’t want to spend money on gear I already own. We made our choice with Vera, the World’s Most Temperamental Stove. All I can do now… is complain about her.
One other update: we replaced the carpet in the back of the truck. Elvis had another accident back there (that’s three total now), and as we threw away another set of Goodwill sleeping bags, we had a come-to-Jesus talk with each other. We most likely never got the smell out of the carpet from the last accident. So to the dogs, it smells like a bathroom.
We put the carpet in there for us – back when we used to sleep there. But the dogs don’t actually need it. I mean, they need something, or else they will slip around on the plywood. Or get splinters. What is that something that’s easy to clean? A rubber utility mat.
This wasn’t cheap – total cost was about $100, including the $20 staple gun. But if either dog poops back there again, well – we can just go to a car wash and hose everything off.
We did buy more bedding for them, in case you’re wondering. $4.50 for two fleece-type blankets. Gotta love Goodwill.