PORCH PONDERINGS

A Great Weekend

I had the great pleasure this past weekend to spend time with Kåre เลียม Enga . Some time ago, I found out there was another WDC writer close to me. Well, in the same state that is.

So finally, with a few days to spare in the week, we made arrangements to meet in Missoula, Montana. Distance in MT is measured in time, most often by people. It takes about 5 hours to get to Mizou from Roundup. Now you people in other parts of the country/world, that may seem excessive. But, not really. I traveled the B route on I-90. Billings to Big Timber to Bozeman to Butte and then Missoula.

I traveled from the edge of the Eastern Montana prairie to the mountains of Western Montana. I watched the Yellowstone River come and go. I saw the Clark Fork before it went into the city of Missoula. Then finally, with good directions, I found my friend.

There stood Kåre เลียม Enga at the Big Dipper. Anxiously waiting for me, as I was a bit tardy. Even driving 80 MPH, I was still later than I wanted to be. But there was this person dressed in purple and orange, as promised. Strange, but I wore an orangish jacket and a purplish top. Perhaps people thought we were twins. LOL

After saying hello and how are you and wow, we made our way around the city of Missoula. Missoula is the home of the University of Montana. There is a long and proud history of that school. It is also the site of many architectural treasures- as I was made aware of. Kåre เลียม Enga really should lead 'underground' tours of the downtown. Sites and places and people were explained. We sat in a little coffee shop and solved all the world's problems, with the help of a poet friend. We also walked from booth to booth in the large outdoor markets. Such diversity, such color, and mercy me, the flowers for sale! And vegetables - so much fresh food for sale.

We visited some gift shops, a shoe store specializing in leather shoes - my favorite. Don't buy fabric shoes, people. Buy leather. They last for years and years. (I have some Birkenstocks that are over 20 years old.) We also stopped at a new shop that specializes in romance novels. Really. I didn't know there was such a need for a specialty item like that.

But the most fun was the carousel. A real carousel with hand carved horses and wagons and even a dragon. You pay $1 per ride, but if you pull the ring, you may get lucky and get a free ticket. Now if I was a child, I would be there every day if I could. They were selling little folders with all the names of the characters you could ride. So, ride until you were on them all. What a deal...

Recently CNN did a piece on Missoula. They touted the fact that you could kayak and surf in the middle of town. The Clark Fork river runs through town and yes indeed, you can use that waterway to surf or kayak or wade or just sit and enjoy the views.

After about 5, or was it 6? hours, it was time to part. I found my way back to the motel, with again, good directions. Then today I made my way back home. Again, the trip down I- 90 in reverse order. I found my home the way I left it. That's always good news.

I will always cherish that time spent with a friend. It was worth every moment. My only regret was having to leave, and watch the mountains and rivers disappear as I neared Roundup.