Freezeout Lake Trip

Since Geri’s trip to Freezeout Lake with a group of blind kids and hosts, she thought I would enjoy seeing this spectacle for myself, so we planned a trip up there the following weekend. We left Saturday morning, not too early as we wanted to see the geese fly that afternoon. We had a nice leisurely drive. We stopped at McNamara's Landing for breakfast, but they were closed down, as in since before last December!
We continued on to Lincoln and stopped there for a bite to eat. We continued along Hiway 200 to 4 Corners and headed north on 287. The view of the Rocky Mountain Front from 287 is spectacular and beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains jetting up from the edge of the plains. This area was the prime hunting grounds of the Black Feet Indians for buffalo or the North American Bison.
We drove on up to Choteau and stopped for some ice cream and to stretch our legs. The dinosaur museum area was closed but we took a few photos and walked around the closed buildings.
It was getting along in the afternoon so we headed south towards Fairfield, where we had a room reserved for us at the Fairfield Park Inn.
We arrived at the Freezeout Lake area around 3:00-3:30 and drove the perimeter of the ponds there that the Snow Geese and several other species of birds fly into in the spring and fall on their way to their respective breeding grounds for the summer. We found where most other folks were parked, near a boat launch area on Davis Lake, and watched the birds on the water for quite awhile. Around 4:45 they all flew up and across a short distance into the barley fields. We got in our car and drove the short distance out of the pond area, across the road and out to the fields. We watched the geese cover one of the fields like newly fallen snow. What few cows were out there seemed to view this spectacle with some awe…
We drove south the short 4 miles to Fairfield and checked into the Fairfield Park Inn and stayed in an upstairs room called the Audubon room. It was quite cozy and warm. It was getting on to dinner time so we walked a few blocks down to the local Shorty's Steakhouse & Saloon. We were the only dinner guests there but had the local ‘Surf and Turf special of the evening. Wasn’t bad for a ‘horse and a half’ cow town.
After returning to our room we reviewed the day’s trip and looked at the pictures we had taken. Our plan was to arise well before sun up and get back out to the ponds at Freezeout Lake in time to see the rising of the geese off the water to fly to their morning feeding.

We found the majority of the spectators just off the side of the Hiway (after passing by and driving way past them, almost to Choteau!!!!)
We got out and walked a short distance into a field area near the pond as the geese were just taking off in several groups and flew over us towards the barley fields east of us. The sunrise was just starting to show some color as we walked across the field, the road and railroad tracks. I took several photos and we watched them feed as we stood next to the fence. We saw the Snows, Blues and Ross’s geese peck away at the barley as the rest of the stragglers flew in and landed.
I had my little Sony camera that I was taking some short video clips with when all of a sudden the mob of geese got spooked and they all flew up at once, honking madly as they flew in a big circle over the top of us then a wide sweep into the sunrise and alighting once again in the barley field. What a spectacular view!!!! Very nice video here…
We munched on some bananas, coffee & tea and a couple of big muffins laid out for us at the Inn as we packed our clothes and loaded up the car. We were expected at Geri’s sisters in Great Falls, which was only 30 some miles away. Geri had brought some fresh Montana country eggs she got from a co-worker and intended to give to her sister, Di
(Diane).
We arrived at Diane’s’ and she cooked omelets and toast for us all and we had a nice visit. We left there and stopped at some old friends of mine, Willie and Max Shumate where we had a very nice visit and some coffee.
I wanted to stop at the local Harley dealer before they closed at 4PM and we did so, just a half hour before. We didn’t by anything there but I wanted to look at their boots and the new bikes.
Geri and I got some fast food and headed back towards the Fairfield area and on up to East Glacier, Montana. We got ourselves a room there at the Dancing Bears Motel, room 1. The power to the town went out sometime during the night, and after we got up the next morning, the phone started ringing. I answered and the voice on the other end was NOT room service, but a caller from somewhere asking to speak to Joe. I told him Joe was not at this number and hung up. The phone rang again but we did not answer it. We packed up getting ready to leave and the phone rang again, several different times, but we ignored it.
When we checked out at the dark office, I mentioned to the proprietor that the phone rang several times and he explained that particular phone was the only one that works during a power outage….!!!!
We couldn’t get any coffee right away and we headed out of town towards West Glacier. We stopped at the Isaac Walton Inn for breakfast and to look around a little as we have never been here before. Unique place with lots of railroad history. The food was very good. The place is a little pricy to stay at as they have several cabooses and converted GN 441 Luxury Locomotive that you can rent to stay in besides the rooms in the main building.
From here we traveled through West Glacier, Hungry Horse then headed south through the Flathead valley then on home to Missoula.
We were glad to have the time to take this trip and also glad we made it home safe and sound back with out kitty again.

Today is Geri Stingers 60th birthday!!!! Yea!!!

She is a wonderful woman, still works a full nurses shift and has the love of God in her heart!

I wish I could buy her all sorts of 'stuff', but her world revolves around other non tangible things. It would be lovely if we could afford to retire now and go the places we've talked about, but we still owe, owe, owe and need to stay employed.

I never dreamed I would get the opportunity to spend time with such a warm, feeling and totally giving woman as Geri. My personal blessings have been almost overwhelming at times as we live and grow together.

Yes, it is her birthday today, but I am the one who has the best present!!!

I began serious photography in the late 1970s after moving to Grants Pass, Oregon. I involved myself with clubs and individual riders throughout the Rogue River Valley, and joined the Choosey Beggars M/C, sponsored by the president of the club at that time. I moved to the San Jose, California area in the early 1980’s and continued professional photography as well as my own imagery pursuits.
I was looking through a few slides I have had these many years and decided to begin scanning them to digital, and began with the many motorcycle related images in my collection, captured back at that time.
Scanning and saving to digital file are many of my biker lifestyle experiences, and many of those I was close to then. Since I moved around several times since leaving Montana back then, I didn’t develop long lasting roots any particular place.
The images represent many that I called ‘brother’ and ‘sister’, and rode with, partied with and developed relationships with.
I am sorry I did not keep closer tabs on many of them.
My life now is pretty subdued compared to that of the 1970’s and 1980’s when I lived pretty fast and loose as a Harley riding single guy.
Please view this collection here:
http://family.webshots.com/album/575028756eTQJco

Haven't posted here in some time. I HAVE been posting to my Facebook account fairly regularly, and most of my recent pictures are at Webshots. Geri and I have had a full summer of riding, as often as out time off together will allow.
Some of the many places we have visited include Yellowstone Park, Beartooth Pass, Virginia City, The Big Hole Valley, Idaho Falls, North Cascade Highway, Puget Sound and more. We are looking forward to more 4 plus days off together so we can travel further. Geri is still providing nursing care with St. Patricks Hospital Dialysis unit and I am still with Big Sky Motorsports here in Missoula, Montana.

Breakfast Ride to Lochsa Lodge

We took a nice leisurley ride up to Lochsa Lodge for breakfast today. Geri, her sister Donna and husband Jim along with our friend Doug on his K-Bike left Lolo around 10AM for the ride up over Lolo pass and into Idaho, where the lodge is located. We waited in Lolo for other SMBC (Sundy Morning Breakfast Club) members to ride out from Missoula, but the weenies never showed. There are usually several of them on Beemers. Maybe the rain scared them off. It did rail quite heavily in the night, but was all done by the time we got out of bed this morning. We had a few very light sprinkles before we left, but the sun was out and skys clearing up by the time breakfast was over at the lodge.

This was Geri's first ride of the season.

Where the HELL is Spring?

We are waiting for Spring…. And waiting…. And waiting ! ! ! !
The taxes are done and I am done building the ‘Fun 51’ airplane. I think it came out looking pretty good, but will it fly? I am betting that it will fly quite well, thank you!
Geri helped me ‘field test’ the plane around the back driveway this past weekend. I fired up the engine and got it warmed up, then taxied it around the driveway a little bit. Of course it snowed a little more later in the day!
I attended my first meeting last week with the local R/C airplane club, the Missoula Thunderbirds. All of 9 pilots showed up! So, I am assuming there will be sparse activity at the air strip come time to fly!
I will be getting my old P-51 Mustang project back on the building table soon. Would like to get that plane finished up and possibly flying sometime in the Spring as well.

I will post a few photos of the George Preddy ‘Crips A Mighty’ here.

In the bones

...the term used to describe a model airplane stage just prior to covering. The 'bones' being the loosely assembled structure with all the wood, ribs, rudder, elevator and so on all visible.

This is the Tower Hobbies 'Fun P-51'. It is a simple kit really, and my second one. First one flew in 2000. It eventually suffered a very hard landing the broke the fuselage. I saved all the hardware, radio equipment and the main wing. This new one is using the salvaged wing with ailerons.

A couple of close-up shots of the custom wing root fairings and the antenna wheel assembly in the wing. The radio antenna will come out of the 'canopy' then back to the top of the verticle stabilizer.

Should be getting around to covering it sometime in the next week to 10 days.

Fragmentum