July 4th, 42 miles, Shelby to Chester MT
904 total miles, 699 miles by bicycle, Elevation is 3127.
We started a new map set yesterday. Since we are mostly taking Hwy. 2 for hundreds of miles the maps have narrowed to one inch high by 7 inches. And Hwy. 2 is so scenic that there are lots of points of interest...not! OK Vicki, sorry about that, it does have its own beauty but there's just so many miles of it!
Traffic was fairly light today which was good because the road engineers decided to put rumble strips spanning the whole shoulder. The shoulder only widened when we got near Chester.
No screaming about mosquitos today. We learned from yesterday. When they started to catch up with us on an uphill we quickly stopped and sprayed with Deep Woods Off. Foiled!
Our lunch spot was supervised by a herd of Angus cows and calves just for a change of scene.
Shortly after that we started downhill for about 4 1/2 miles almost all the way into Chester. Chester is a two water tower town! Our motel is a joint with a large expanse of asphalt; our front "lawn". Our view is the town grain elevator. And right behind that is the ubiquitous railroad so we can again be soothed by the sound all night long.
Today is the fourth of July and appropriately we are in Liberty County. Apparently this town doesn't have official fireworks but instead a lot of unofficial ones. If the boomers that we are hearing today are an example, they've got a lot of firepower. Jon would enjoy the fireworks here.
This area is so far north that it isn't full dusk until 11 pm. Don't know if we can stay up that late, although maybe we will be woken up! The town is so small we can probably stand outside on the asphalt lawn and see plenty. Hate to miss fireworks. At home all the little towns around us have festivals with fireworks so we travel around to see at least four different displays in the week preceding the fourth.
On a different note. I have found two shoes by the side of the road. I am continually perplexed by why there is always one shoe by the side of the road? I intend to ask God about that first thing when I meet Him. I mean, have you ever had a shoe fall off? Isn't it kind of obvious when that happens? Would you just keep walking? Maybe some teen might throw a shoe out the window but I find all kinds of shoes, not just teens'. I even found one in Barcelona, Spain so it isn't just an American phenomenon. So anyway, I collect them and nail them on my shed wall. I'm getting quite a collection, may need to extend to a second wall.
This trip I have found two. One on the Lake Koocanusa byway and one just outside of Browning. OK with all the smashed beer bottles maybe he didn't notice when he walked out of his shoe...I'll send these home to nail up. Dave is hoping I don't find any heavy boots, i think he might "put his foot down" at that. (Ok, that's a groaner).
Heading to the big town of Havre tomorrow. 9000 people, it's like the New York City of the plains. We don't know how to pronounce it. Is it like Brett Faavvraaa?
Been singing in my head "Ridin' down that long lonesome highway, where I'm bound I don't know. Good bye is too good a word babe, so I'll just say fare thee well..." Bob Dylan? Which song?
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/dontthinktwiceitsallright.html
Last picture: how does a Montanan hide his trash? Just build another hill.
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