Big fat and happy at Bernice's

You know life is funny sometimes. I woke up this morning to discover the storm I was dodging last night had indeed caught up with me. So a languid start of the day was in order. Chatting with Dick and John (fellow strandees) in the lobby, it was good to feel un-alone in this predicament. Weatherbonk had indeed assured somewhere between deliberate dampness and total-waterloggedness on my planned ride to Bozeman. As we sat there swapping stories (sans amplification) we heard an alert over the TV that the park service had shut down the million dollar highway through Glacier National Park due to heavy rainfall and potential flooding along the route. But I had, earlier, rather optimistically reserved a room at the Lewis and Clark motel in downtown Bozeman and so felt rather committed. A friendly staffer from the Aero Inn offered a route suggestion to avoid construction along 93S. She had a resume that's made me comment...'hey you gotta write a book!'

Yeah, I wasn't the soooper happy camper droning on in the rain. Managed a neat pic of Lake Flathead as I cinched up the wet weather gear though... but by the time I got to Plains, the sun ventured out for a sneak-peek and I took the opportunity replace the low-beam bulb in the NAPA parking lot. Haven't done roadside repairs in eons, reminded me of days gone by. Tooled about town for a sec (it is a wee small place) saw the Mangy Moose and felt a touch homesick for my own moose from home and so stopped for some fresh cherries and a chit chat about deer-resistant flowers. (yup, still me). Turns out past Paradise, 28 turns to 135 through Lolo National Forest and swooping along the riverbanks drove the rainy blues away. Thanks to you friendly lady (sorry forgot the intros) !

Swishing upstream, I could watch the squalls plot their course along the river. You could predict when the next wave of Lilipution arrows (yeah it smarts) were about to strike; ouch!

I feel compelled to make an equipment comment; the bike is simply fantastic. Secondary roads with heaves and undulations are taken with aplomb, even at ridiculous (by my standards) speeds. The GPS got soaked but that was my fault for shoddy re-assembly. The Pilot Roadsmart2s were confidence inspiring (yes, yesterday's tip notwithstanding) and that finds me here at Bernice's Bakery in Missoula. You know I actually do not know the time? Had a yummy brie samwich and a cup-o-soup all washed down with exemplary cups of coffee....yeah I'm in violation of my own rule, but today is prolly the first day I felt a little un-plugged. (hmm) I wonder how far Bozeman is? OK two cups this late in the day is simply tempting fate, best I go before I forget how I got here in the first place.....(think about that)

BTW, the handsome fella is Rocky. We chatted while I suited-up after lunch. He is an avid motorcyclist and a very much a native Montanan. Unlike places on my west-coast portion of the trip, pretty much people were 'from here'. He'd seen the country alongside his pooch and decided that Montana was the place for him. He wasn't particularly thrilled by the growth in Missoula but wide spaces was his thing. Among other things, we both shared a common disdain of the boom-boom car stereos of the college scholars. I think we said goodbye a half-dozen times......