From Missoula to Bozeman

Our last Missoula apartment view...the distant mountains catching the first rays of the morning sun with the last few patches of winter snow on the highest peak.  At the bottom of the pic still in shadow, Brennan's Wave, an enhanced rapids that the kayakers & surf-boarders love.

OK, time to explain Brennan's Wave.  The Clark Fork River that begins many miles to the west (left in the photo) and continues many miles east, has fast moving water and forms many rapids.  Here in downtown Missoula, the river was cleared of debris and the rapids were enhanced to increase the challenge of riding it.  The surfers & kayakers succeed as long as they remain relaxed with high concentration.  As you watch them, you can see something beginning to waver & soon they are toast.

Here's the local newspaper with a piece telling the whole Brennan story (you may have to scroll down a bit): Brennan

And here's a YouTube vid of kayakers taking the challenge: Kayakers

On Saturday, we headed out to Bozeman and for about the first hour the Clark Fork was snaking along beside us and under us to switch sides.

In Bozetown, it was great to return to the Garaj Mahal, our landlady Marjorie's name for the apartment above her garage, the first place we stayed in Bozeman back in 2015.  It had been occupied when we tried to reserve it the next two years but we were successful this year.  (GM pic later)

It's good to be "home", an easy walk to Heeb's, the local supermarket and to downtown Bozeman.  With more than two weeks ahead of us here, we can chill for the first few days.

So my first two photos aren't much, scenery-wise.

I never tire of seeing the liberal use of neon signs preserved, a reminder of my childhood when that was the only method of having self-illuminating signage.  Yes, that's Susanne on the left in the red top.

And where but in Montana and a few other northern states will you see a truck full of logs lumbering (pun!!!) along the main drag?

Once a month one of the local synagogues holds a "Brews for Jews" during happy hour at one of the local craft breweries.  We happened to catch one, first time in four years.  Here we are, half the turnout.

Another only in Montana (OIM) shot, this time specifically dictated by one of Montana's weird liquor laws.  Both sides of a slip of paper that's given to every customer.

I wandered out onto the patio to a lovely sight.  It was late in the afternoon, around 6pm.

On our way out we spotted the Montana version of Arizona's jackalope.

These wonderful oddities of nature exist only in taxidermy.

The Montanans have a saying, found on lots of T-shirts: "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger except bears, because bears will kill you."

This post has been sitting around for a couple of days, waiting for more pics/talk.  I've got those pics but rather than wait, let's close out Missoula now & pic up Bozeman in the next post.