Warning: The following post contains an excess of canine photos.
Yaak River seen from Yaak River Campground, northwest of Troy, Montana
You might have noticed in the previous post . . .
The crew and I didn’t end up in the pull-through campsite where the deer greeted us upon our arrival. I decided to take the back-in site across the campground lane because it has more shade.
Good thing I did.
Why? Because a Class A moves into the pull-through and we get to meet Dan and his eight-month old sweetheart named Gabby!
Dan is a guy in his fifties who is a full-timer and lover of dogs.
After many years loving and caring for his rat terrier, Charlie, including a period of time when Dan administered IV fluids, his beloved companion passed away.
When Dan was ready for another dog, he searched until he found Gabby in an animal shelter.
She is a doll!
Reggie and Roger immediately go crazy over her and she feels the same way about them.
The blurriness in photos is evidence of the fast-moving action of the three canine critters!
While the pups play, Dan and I stand in his site chatting. At one point Dan goes inside his motor home to retrieve something.
Reggie, Roger, and Gabby miss Dan right away and want him to come outside again.
“Hey, what about me?” I protest. “Over here . . . Remember ME?”
Later Dan and Gabby visit our campsite.
I’m so engaged in our conversation that I don’t have many photos of the dogs playing. Plus they’re zooming around the campsite at lightning speed. Such a happy trio of friends!
Finally when they pause for a drink, I grab a few pics.
Can’t have too many butt shots!
Dan says, “How ’bout I hold them in my lap so you can get a good picture of them together?”
“Okay, everybody! Look at the camera! Reggie, we don’t see you . . . .”
Dan and I laugh at the squirming mess he’s trying to contain.
Seeing how happy Gabby is playing with the crew, Dan is convinced that he will adopt another dog.
Sunday, July 23
Even though I told Dan we would be leaving this morning, I thought we’d probably say good-bye before driving out of the campground.
No one is stirring outside his and Gabby’s motor home so I write a note, stick it in an envelope, and leave it tucked under the windshield wiper of his Jeep.
Reg, Rog and I roll northward on Route 2 for a few miles.
Then we turn northward on Route 508, otherwise known as the Yaak River Road. It’s a fresh, clear morning, not long after dawn. I like driving through forest at this time of day. One has a good chance of seeing wildlife.
The two-lane, paved road follows the course of the Yaak through a break in the Purcell Mountains. The river meanders on our right. On our left is the deep green of Kootenai National Forest, mostly conifers growing thickly together and meshed with lush undergrowth.
I hold our speed down around 40 mph.
The sun’s rays are just beginning to clear the crests of the hills on our right. The flicker of light through the trees and on the surface of the river adds to the magic.
Omigod!
I hit the brakes.
A MOOSE!
The ungainly creature appears in an instant from the riverbank on our right, gallops across the road in front of us, and disappears into the forest on our left. I probably don’t see him for more than three seconds but the side silhouette of a moose is like no other, the enormous head and antlers unmistakable.
What a sight!
Sigh.
Whenever I think of our days by the Yaak River or when asked why I live as a traveler, I’ll recall the serendipity of crossing paths with that moose as he galloped up from the river in the sun’s first rays reaching down from the hills.
rvsue
NOTE: You may wonder why the crew and I are moving from camp to camp after such short stays. We keep moving because we don’t have internet and I don’t want the blog to slip too far into the past. As I write this two weeks after the time of this post, we have another reason to move quickly — the smoke from forest fires!
I’m sorry I’m not able to reply to comments. Thank you for writing. — Sue
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