Missoula

August 26, 2007

Drove about 100 miles northwest and settled in at Jim & Mary's RV park.  I keep looking at the wide rivers and streams that we travel next to and and would like to spend some time fly fishing in them.  Alesa keeps telling me to stop but don't know how good the fishing is this time of the year.  If the wind ever dies down enough we'll stop at a tackle shop and ask.  For now I will just be content to spend some time walking along and in the streams.  We will travel along the Bitterroot mountains tomorrow.  Went to downtown Missoula to tour and shop and then above the park a few miles to where they are still battling wildfires.  It is so dry and windy which is not helping things.  The command post for the effort is across the street from the park where they have a tent city and a heliport set up.  At least a dozen helicopters at the present time.  There are three more flying cranes down at the airport by the Smoke Jumpers national headquarters and training center.  We continue to take side trips to see what we can see.  Like Kurt Vonnegut says in the Cat's Cradle,  "Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God".