Back to civilization and my internet!!

Hmm...what shall I write about tonight?
Maggie with her "cigar."

After three weeks of iffy internet and WIFI I am so grateful that I have a good connection tonight!  I can't believe how spoiled we are with our constant connection to the world and when it is not there how frustrated we get.  How did we function in the days before this technology?  

We are in Missoula, MT for three nights and 2 days.  After being in one-horse towns for the last few nights we were ready for some civilization.  I'm sure we will be ready for fewer people by the time we leave here, though.  It's quite congested and the traffic is very metropolitan.  We did notice that there are no left turn signals and it backs things up when someone wants to turn left.  Wonder why they don't have them?  

Beautiful spot - next to the road!

In my previous post I mentioned that we stayed in a small campground and were the only overnight guests and that the campground was near the road.  Well, we got little to no sleep because of the road noise.  Usually when the campground is near the highway it isn't too bad because the noise is constant and becomes "white noise."  Well, US 2 carries its share of traffic, but it is in spurts.  So, just as you are getting to sleep, some big semi rolls by and its  air brakes start pumping because he is slowing down for the town.  Then, there's the train!  It was hot, it was noisy and we woke grumpy and tired even before the day started!

Mr. Fix-it replacing the screen in the door!

We drove through more amber waves of grain towards Spokane, WA where we got on I-90 East to Idaho.  We cruised through Idaho and the mountain mining towns and got into Montana where we stopped in St. Regis.  The campground was a former KOA run by some nice folks and was quiet!!  Hot again, though.  

We are having issues at night with this heat.  We get the place cooled down to 80 or so (it takes forever) and when the temp outside is the same as inside we turn off the A/C and open the windows and get the ceiling fans going.  So, it's kinda warm when we go to bed.  Then about 4am it starts getting cold.  We just can't get the jim-jams and blanket weights right and how many and which windows to leave open and it makes for some interrupted sleep.  The heat does get to me more than the cold and I've become a bit testy with it and lack of sleep. I will overcome this......

We are in a KOA in Missoula.  The place is huge!  It is a couple of city blocks wide and deep.  LOTS of people for the weekend.  We were lucky to find a spot as I forgot it was the weekend and didn't call until yesterday. (We are trying to be spontaneous and for Rog and me that is a hard thing to do!) One of the things I supposedly learned with our trips is to make sure you have someplace reserved on the weekend. Apparently I got a little carried away with the spontaneity thing. But, it worked out - as it mostly does.  So, tonight we have TV, WIFI and good cell coverage!   We have stores to buy food and a place to go out to dinner!  We were more than ready for it. 

If I look backwards maybe
 we won't go anywhere.

Yesterday morning I finally gave up and called our vet and explained Maggie's issues - hyperventilating, shaking, and recently whining. She won't lie down and sits backwards when the truck is running. He recommended some prescription anti-anxiety stuff but since we are on the road we sorta have a problem in acquiring it.  His second choice is to try some dramamine and, then if that doesn't work, to find a vet.  We didn't have any so I gave her some Bonine, which is also a motion sickness drug, that I had in my purse.  We think it worked a little, but by the time it should have kicked in it was her calmer time anyway, so it was hard to tell.  We tried it this morning and I think it quieted her a little.  Shall try the dramamine tomorrow and see how it goes.  We are taking a day trip so we won't be on the road all day.

We are going to the National Bison Range about an hour northwest of here where they have bison (duh), elk, antelope, bear, and big horn sheep.  It's a drive through park so we can take Miss Maggie with us.  So, we will pack our lunch and go off for an adventure.   

Sunday will be chore day after we go downtown Missoula to walk around their River Walk and outdoor market.  We need groceries again - having a small fridge requires grocery trips every 4 or 5 days!  And, of course, the laundry basket is full.  It will give us both a couple of easy days and Rog a couple of days to recoup from three days of driving.