Monday, July 17 (continued)

The crew and I are on the road early, heading northwest on Interstate 90 to Regis, Montana.  From Regis we follow Clark Fork River on Route 135 as it curves to the east and then to the northwest.

We turn into a little campground, tucked into Lolo National Forest.

I’m not intending to camp in Cascade Campground because today I’d like to move our travel further along.  I drive through the campground out of curiosity.

The camping fee at Cascade is $10 regular/$5 with senior discount.  This seems to be the going rate (as I type this in July 2017) for National Forest campgrounds in this part of Montana.

Sweet.

The campground road leaves the main road and returns to it in an arc.  Not very many sites.  A few are occupied.

On our way through the shady campground, we are stopped by three baby birds of the chicken-fowl variety as they race across the road, only a few yards in front of the Perfect Tow Vehicle.

I stop and grab the camera but the little ones are already concealed in underbrush.  That’s when the bird in the above photo comes out from where the little ones emerged.  Strutting, fan tail open, making throaty murmurs to the runaway brood . . .

I snap the shot and we continue on our way.

Well, that was delightful!

The drive from St. Regis to Thompson Falls is one of the loveliest I’ve ever experienced. The two-lane road waltzes with its river partner in graceful curves, on and on for miles, one gorgeous scene after another . . .

I don’t stop for photos because it’s difficult or dangerous to do so, plus I don’t want to disturb Roger who has finally stopped whining and settled down.

After a while we do stop for the crew’s potty break and walk-around.

I admit I cannot remember if these photos were taken in Plains or in the aptly-named village of Paradise.

Thompson Falls is a charming town.

At the grocery store I talk with the woman managing the produce department.  I’m bagging a handful of cherries.  My eyes turn to the apricots.

“Ya’ know?” I begin.  “I’m almost 70 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a fresh apricot.”

She laughs and replies, “No better time than the present!”

I put four apricots in a bag.

“This is such a pretty town.  I think I’d like living here . . . if it weren’t for the winters.”

“Yeah, they’re sumpthin.’  Last winter, not far from here, it went down to 36 below.”

~ ~ ~

Route 200 takes us to Noxon Reservoir.

We set up camp in Northshore Campground.

I pay $10 for two nights.

Soon the crew and I are walking the paved road that goes from the campground down to the day use area with boat ramp.

 

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

Message in real time:

As most of you know, the crew and I are traveling and camping where there is spotty internet or none at all.  This post and the previous two posts were scheduled to appear when I cannot go online.

A reader recently commented that I should pose questions for blogorinos to discuss.  Then the reader listed several possible questions.  I can’t find that comment right now (time to pack up and leave) but I think it’s an excellent suggestion which I will try in the future.

In the meantime, I suggest to that helpful reader and to all the blogorinos, if you want the comment section to be lively, interesting, informative, and fun . . .

Go ahead and ask questions or introduce topics!

I’ve been trying for six years to encourage blogorinos to talk with each other, yet most comments are directed to me, so I do my best to keep the conversations going.  I can’t do that now.

If you enjoy reading comments, you can keep them coming in by replying to others, introducing topics, directing comments to the community . . . .

. . . talking with each other.

In short, feel free to participate and encourage others.  That would be great!

rvsue 

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