Cape Codder in Montana: Shove off on Sept 8

Where I get to by the end of the day. . . east side of Rockies

My neighbor comes over to help me pack the Elantra in the morning


Oh, will miss my house!

This house is just right for me. Why can't I fly it to Cape Cod?

Flathead Lake is hazy today

The best cherries come from these orchards in Montana

Today was shove off day. I thought it would be yesterday, but there was just far too much to get done before leaving the Montana home base. Which is now for sale. The word emotional would not convey the way I felt as I drove away. Psychically Numb would perhaps be the words. So much hard work for so long to de-clutter and pack, and then this morning, my wonderful next door neighbor came over to help me shrink an SUV-sized-luggage-load down to the volume that could actually fit into my little new (to me) car.

And then I was off. Well, not quite, Yoko and I stopped to get an oil change. You cannot travel 2800 miles without attending to oil, tire pressure and wiper fluid. And so, by noon, we were leaving Bigfork. Slowly. I had to stop several time to take pictures of the beautiful Flathead Lake, hazy today because of various wildfires all over Montana. I went down the east side of the lake, the scenic cliff-hugger side, the side that says Montana rather than Interstate. The cherry orchids were beautiful, as always, with full green foliage, but pretty well picked by now. I did not stop for cherries. I’ve eaten so many this summer.

And then we entered the Flathead Indian reservation, and beyond that, the south end of the massive Flathead Lake and onto the Interstate 93. Not too worry, that is one of the most beautiful Interstates in the country. The speed limits in the reservation are to be strictly adhered to, which I did. I was a little bummed out when I got to the Native American Museum I wanted to check out. It was hot and not a speck of shade in the parking lot, so no way. Could not leave Yoko in the car for that. So, not this time. We drove along the Mission Mountain range, past the Bison Range (bison were hiding) and down to Missoula. VERY smoky in Missoula due to nearby wildfires.

And then we got onto the east/west Interstate that would take us across the state and over the Continental Divide. . . and across most of the country. . . I-90.

The day was perfect, although hazy. Most of the smoke behind us, but a lot of the west is on fire right now, so hazy. And what views. My mind is thirsty for such wide open vistas having mostly stayed in my house all summer, doing inner mental excavation via stuff sorting. God, I’ve relived every year of my life and my kids’ lives this summer, as well as revisited all my accomplishments and failures, short-comings and strengths. Conclusion: I am an OK person, but I need to work on letting go. Too much stuff. Still. I sent 40 boxes via moving truck ahead of me to Cape Cod. Value: nothing to anyone else.

So the car ride back to Massachusetts is so important, a jet ride just would not allow me the time to process and re-enter the state in any kind of acceptable shape. The views of this country will help me do that. What a country we live in. If you’ve never been to Montana, just come drive around for a few weeks. It is amazing. We stopped at the top of the Continental Divide so we could pee. Unfortunately the human facilities were padlocked (hey!) so I had to hold it till the next truck stop, but Yoko got to pee. Her water will flow east and west from the top of the divide.

I will let the pictures here tell the rest of the story of the day. I end up near Yellowstone Park in Belgrade. Yoko and I have a nice room. This Quality Inn allows dogs. She is snoring now. So, on my way away from one set of relatives and towards the other. Amazing. Who knew my two kids would live 2800 miles apart? And that my husband would work back in Massachusetts after we made the big move west? Life gives you lots of surprises. It's never boring.