Montana - Day 24 - Billings, then Hardin

Hardin KOA, Hardin
Wednesday, 24 August 2022

When Dext and I went for our early walk this morning, I saw for the first time why Montana claims to be Big Sky Country. 

Because I was in a state park, there were very few lights, and because the moon was just a thin orange crescent, moonlight wasn't a limiting factor.  And always before my view was limited by hills or trees or houses - or all 3, and I didn't have any of those limits here. 

So what I saw was a huge sky full of stars, including the Milky Way which I rarely see these days.  It was an incredible sight.  I don't remember ever seeing a sky this big.

This sight made that ghastly washboard road worthwhile, though I really wasn't looking forward to the return trip.  I stopped at the camp host on the way out to see if there was an alternative.

The host turned out to be a woman my age from south Alabama traveling with her dog.  She said the washboard was the only way out, and that residents in the area had been asking for years to get the road paved.  But so far county officials hadn't authorized the money.  She said she'd previously been camp host at the campground on the north side of the reservoir, and up there they had a paved road and a phone signal and an internet signal, and it had been hard for her to accept their request that she move down here.

She said she'd noticed me particularly yesterday because my RV was a small class C like hers.  She too thought it was crazy for people to travel around with those monster 5th wheels and class As, especially to rural areas like this one.

Her advice on the washboard was for me to take it faster, not slower, but I told her we'd been shaken to pieces when I'd tried.  Nice woman.  When I mentioned the sky view I'd had this morning, she suggested I look for Dark Sky Photography.  She said their photos of nighttime skies are amazing.  She's right, and here's their website if you're interested.   https://www.darkskyphotography.com

today's route

So back down the washboard we went.  This time I saw 3 people working with bee boxes, wearing protective gear.  They looked so odd in that gear it took me a minute to realize what I was seeing.

There's a small colony of White Pelicans living at Cooney Reservoir.  They're such impressive-looking birds.

When we'd finally made it down the gravel roads and back out onto regular pavement, we passed through the town of Joliet, where a sign said "Fire Danger Today - High."  I think it's been high (or higher) for this entire month, no matter where in Montana we went.

I passed a field where grain had been harvested.  On either side of the field there were those big round bales, but in the middle of the field were 2 rows of tiny square (literally square) bales of something.  Such an odd sight.

I saw a large nest on a platform on top of a pole, with a large bird in it apparently feeding its young.  Seems a little late in the year to be hatching a brood but I guess they know what they're doing.

I saw another one of those Montana Meth Project billboards, this one saying, "Ask me who I tied to the steering wheel."  

We passed an operation for Knife River Sand & Gravel.  I've seen other sites for them in the area - all being worked - so they must be a pretty big outfit.

Back in Billings, I saw a sign at a Wendy's said, "NO WHIRING."  It took me a minute to realize one of the movable letters had moved out of place.  They're paying $14 - $17, they say.  Seriously more money than fast food places used to pay.

We stopped at the Centennial Dog Park and Dext got to meet some other dogs.  I've been noticing that he often shows interest in playing with other dogs, but after about 15 seconds he stops and that's it.  Then after a while he'll show some more interest, but again it doesn't last any time at all.  Well, it's still a step toward mental health that was beyond him for a while.

I stopped at a Target where I finally found refills for Lily's litter genie disposer.  I stopped again at a Chase bank and restocked up on some cash for gasoline - because I'd been seriously depleted with the high cost of gas recently.  And I stopped at a CVS to get refills of my blood pressure medications.  

From there we went back on the road toward Hardin.  We crossed the Yellowstone River again.  I saw 5 white †s all together.  Another family I suppose.  Such a sad thing.  But as sad as they are, I'm going to miss them when I leave the state - they're a sort of connection to other folks who've traveled this road.

The campground in Hardin had a dog park, where Dext made friends with a 20-month-old Doberman named Blaze.  His owner came from St. Petersburg in Florida who drove a small RV like mine.  She said she'd never have the nerve to drive one of those big monster rigs (and I agreed), but that she'd recently met an older woman in a Utah campground who had driven a huge Class A, towing a car.  She said her husband had cataracts so she did all the driving and that she didn't have any trouble with it.  The Florida woman and I marveled at her courage - and I remembered meeting a woman several years ago - maybe in New Hampshire? - who also had a husband with something wrong with his vision so she was the one who drove their class A, towing a car.  And I couldn't help but wonder if we'd met the same woman.  And maybe she'd made it all the way across the country with that rig and her disabled husband.  I'd love to think so.