Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana |
It's been a winding-down time. Winding down from that adrenaline rush of the accident, dealing with insurance, uncertainty of what to do next. And then we discover that the rental car's registration/license plate expired in November of 2022. Hmm. Well, we called them. I won't mention the company. And they are really not that all concerned. We are, because all these what-if's come into our mind. So, sure, drive the car back. Well, no, that is a 4 hour trip one-way. I think not. It's your mistake, you bring US a new car with current, legal plates. We are still waiting. I don't know about all of the rest of you, but we try to obey the rules. We don't try to do things contrary to government regulations. That is a slippery slope we don't want to go down. And on top of all my car drama, my grandson is still missing. No word on him. Two friends have been in the hospital for various reasons. Another friend has a son in the hospital after a heart attack. Yet another friend who is raising her granddaughter is dealing with the fact this child ran off to be with her boyfriend. Egads. A lot of bad news. But on the plus side, warmer weather is here. Yay! |
I planned to go to a conference - on tourism. I planned to stay in Gardiner. That's a small town at the north entrance to Yellowstone, perhaps you remember that we managed a motel there for about 8 years. I was going to stay there a few nights. I asked hubby if he wanted to go, 'No, what would I do?' I told him, 'Go fishing in the Yellowstone River. You always liked to do that.' Well, he said no. Then the other day, he asked when WE were leaving for that trip. Hold on. WE? So, change of plans. WE left on Wednesday morning for Gardiner, leaving about 8:30 AM to get to Gardiner early, check-in, then I was going back about 20 miles up Paradise Valley to the conference. It was going to be fun. Because we also found out some old friends were also staying at the motel. These friends are photographers we met while managing that motel. We'd arranged a dinner date for Thursday night. We needed to catch up with Betty, our old boss, and Don and Deb, our old friends. WELL.............................. We were 21 miles away from our destination when hubby says, but not too loud, DEER! I stomped on the brake. Both air bags blew up in our faces and I pulled over. Blast it all. Another deer suicide. Our car is toast. Again. The same corner that got hit a few years ago. Someone stopped, called 911. He waited while someone from the Paradise Valley volunteer fire department showed up. That only took about 5 minutes. Then the sheriff showed up. Then another volunteer showed up, this man stayed by my side the entire time. Then the entire PVFD showed up. A county highway truck cruised by, then picked up the deer, came by us, 'Do you want the animal?' (There were 3 dead deer in their truck.) I said, 'Which one is ours? I want to kick it or punch it!' An ambulance was called, then sent away. The Montana Highway patrol came and the Sheriff left. We really weren't hurt, except for a decent bruise on my hand from the air bag. And a crying jag I had for about 15 minutes about being so sorry for it all. Bugger me. Hubby called Betty at the motel. Betty finally showed up. She loaded us up in her car, as our car was loaded onto the wrecker. The highway patrol gave us an accident report. The highway patrol and the wrecker both left as we made our way down to Gardiner. Our friends, Don and Deb, met us at the motel. Everyone was so worried, upset. It was like going home again. Hubby insisted, and Don and everyone agreed, I was to be checked at the hospital. Brain surgeries, let's be sure. So back in the car we go. Back up the valley 50 miles to the hospital ER. Don takes us, bless him. He drives to and from the hospital 35 - 40 MPH. Deer, elk and bison line the sides of the road. I kid you not. We counted at least 30 on the way back to Gardiner. I was fine, no problems. Thank you God. Yesterday we spent fishing, walking to where the flood of 2022 washed away the road in Yellowstone near Gardiner, and then had a nice little picnic with Deb and Don. The motel folk gave us a little flower arrangement, so sweet! Then this morning we left at 7 AM as Don and Deb drove us 80 miles to Bozeman to pick up a rental car. Again, 35 - 40 mph through that valley. Oh. I never did go to that conference. I emailed the chair of the group that sponsored me. Gave my regrets. He understood. So now we're home. We're wondering what will happen to the car. Totaled or fixable. What do we do? We have to wait. But one thing we know for sure. We know we have people who care about us and love us. There are still good, decent people in this world. From the unpaid volunteers to the sheriff to the patrolman to the wrecker driver. And then our dear friends. Each and every one of them. This is why I live in Montana folks. |
Things are tough, Spring is still knocking around, the museum is trying to attract visitors. I need to get back to writing I find. My grandson is still missing from the Marines. No word still, going on three weeks this coming Saturday. Continue to pray for him. I won't write more about this now because I will descend into a pity party. So I need a distraction. I planted potatoes in the garden yesterday under a threatening sky. Ominous black clouds and loud thunder. So I hurried, threw them in the holes I had dug, scurried into the house to await a storm. Drat, it went north. But the first of the garden is in. You usually don't plant around here until Mother's Day which is soon upon us. Andre's Banana Bar has a fun challenge running now. I think I'll take part. Always fun to chase that monkey about. |
I've not been writing a lot lately. The urge to write is gone, I don't feel any spark. There's a crisis with my grandson right now. I won't share a lot, but just know this. It's hard when you cannot help. Please pray that God ends this problem, for good or for bad. We need to know what happened. |
Finally, I made my presentation to the Dino Trail members. I can mark that off my list now. God gave me the words to say, I am sure of that. But of course, they had questions. Do we own the specimens that are now in the dinosaur building? Do you have an agreement with the person now digging up specimens in your area? How long will he be doing this? Do you ...? Will you ...? Have you ...? Why don't you...? Well, I think most everyone on this site knows I am not a paleontologist. I don't have a degree in science. I can maybe tell you a few of the prehistoric eras. I know a few dinosaurs. So now I am hobnobbing with scientists and paleo people that have doctoral degrees in this field. There is a steep learning curve ahead, I fear. Here are two museums on the Dino Trail that are going to help us: https://museumoftherockies.org https://cartercountymuseum.org Carter County Museum is in the town of Ekalaka, population 444. Museum of the Rockies in the town of Bozeman, population 118,00 + Two more different areas you cannot find in Montana. But my friend Sabre Moore and her fiance Nathan Carroll live in Ekalaka, both went to school in Bozeman, Montana State. And both have their doctorate degrees. And now I have 4 new friends at the Museum of the Rockies that want to help our museum, also with doctorates. But you know what? I do so love a challenge. And this is a big one! Fun times ahead! |
It was museum cleaning day today. We got a lot done. In the midst of it, a report from a Billings TV station stopped in to look at the new dinosaur exhibit space. She needed two on the spot speakers. Well, me and another lady were the only two left as everyone else scattered since they were in work clothes and hats and looked disheveled. At least I had put on some eye makeup this morning. So I'm again in the news. LOL. Serena and I chattered away for about 5 minutes - off-the-cuff , no rehearsing. We pray we didn't sound like two demented old ladies prattling on and on about Roundup and the museum. I'll let you know what happens. Never a dull moment! First a billboard, now the news station! |
Today we woke to 4 inches of wet, sloppy snow. And a heavy snowstorm in action. Lucky for me I had nowhere to go but a a meeting down the street. April showers, indeed. A good old-fashioned snow shower of epic proportions. We got as much snow this morning as we got all winter. Crazy. |
I just posted my last entry to the Banana Bar Blog. So back to the porch. The weather is typical Montana spring stuff - 75° one day, snow the next. But we do see a bit of green around. And my lilac bushes are budding out. Hurrah! I'm starting a new journey - braces! Yep - who knew that at this age I'd get braces on my teeth. A long time coming, let me tell you. But they were necessary for crowding, trouble keeping my teeth clean and my jaw dislocating. So last week I got my Invisalign braces put on. You cannot tell they are on, and it's quite an amazing process. Every 2 weeks I change to a new set of clear plastic braces, top and bottom, that will, over the course of 18 months, rearrange my bite. The braces are very thin, I have to wear them all the time, except to eat. At least 22 hours a day. So far so good. No pain. They fit well. You don't even know they are on, and no one can tell I am wearing them. Amazing!! We're finally getting our remodeling project back on track. I pray in a few weeks it will be completely finished. That will be such a blessing when it's done. Enjoy spring wherever you are. Ours is coming, it's slow, but it'll be here in a few weeks. |
The Banana Bar is open once again. I'll be blogging over at
for a few weeks. Come visit me there! You never know what antics Andre has up his sleeve. |
Again, we are threatened by the National Weather Service with another winter storm warning. Really? Come on. But this time they upped the ante and threw in the term 'Spring Blizzard' to put a righteous scare into everyone. Whatever. I'm truly getting a case of spring fever, as is everyone else. Not too much going on. Just working on little projects. I"m trying to whittle down my book inventory. So far I've sent off one box to Powell's Books in Oregon. They'll take used books and give you store credit. Pretty sweet deal. You have to enter ISBN #s to see if they will accept what you have. But then you even get a UPS shipping label, so shipping is prepaid. Works for me. I'm also working on a presentation for our museum about its inclusion on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. I think I'm almost to the point where I can call it finished. A few more tweaks and I'm good with it. So, not much to report from the porch. It's too cold to sit there anyway. Come back in a few weeks. It'll probably switch over to summer. It seems to do that. |