Thursday's Thirteen Vacation Memories.

Thirteen unforgettable things that I saw on my journey. 1) Bald eagles! I kid you not! I saw them just outside of St. Regis, Montana! I saw them up close and personal too...gorgeous creatures! 2) I saw soul dazzling sunsets that cast shades of purple, pink and gold across the mountains and skyline. 3) I saw moose grazing in a slow bend of river not far from the Cataldo Mission. 4) I saw Tibetan mastiffs. In fact, I lived with three Tibetan Mastiffs for just under three days, and I learned that these dogs truly are gentle giants. (One of the mastiffs looked just like a lion!) 5) I also saw cactus. Did you know that prickly pear cactus grows in Montana? If I had ever known this, I had forgotten; but I was quickly reminded during a hike up a hill behind my Dad's place. 6) Oh, and the baby grasshoppers! I saw baby grasshoppers! By late summer, grasshoppers in Montana tend to be around three inches long. Adults are undoubtedly on the larger side, but when they are babies they are teeny tiny hippity hoppity little things. I learned that they are very hard to catch when they are so little, but apparently catching them is worth the effort if you are either a five year old girl or an eight year old boy! 7) Men in Montana still like their moustaches. I saw lots of moustaches, which leads me to believe that male facial hair is still very much in vogue in the Big Sky State. (We aren't talking little wimpy moustaches either...nooooo, we are talking the big ole handle bar variety!) 8) One thing I did not see in Helena was a used book store. My uncle assured me that people in Helena don't read books anymore; after all, why bother with books when there is satellite television and the internet? (His thoughts, not mine!) 9) I saw casinos. Not the grand casinos one finds in Vegas mind you, but rather I saw tons of small, hole in the wall, smoke filled barrooms jam packed with video poker machines, keno and the like. Kind of sad really, some of those bars/casinos once had wonderful dance floors where I'd formerly shaken my booty till the cows came home. Those floors are all gone now, or rather, they are now all hidden underneath an assortment of legalized gambling devices. 10) I saw huge white washed letters on a hill in every town we entered. Missoula had a huge "M", Lolo sported an "L", Helena had an "H" ect. My children thought this was especially charming and would like to create a similar landmark for our city.... 11) I saw lots of cigarette smoking. Every where I went, young and old alike were puffing away on those damn cancer sticks. 12) I saw my grandfather, my father, my brother, my brother's son and my two sons....four generations of strong, loving men, and/or young boys, aka men in training. 13) I saw Taco Treat, which is a pseudo mexican eatery that serves a culinary delight from childhood, The Taco Treat Cheese Crisp! 14) Last but not least, I saw the genuine happiness of my father and his grandchildren as they renewed their bonds of love.

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