Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Welcome to Montana
The First Pages
I set up the video production equipment for horse racing in Helena, Montana. I spend the next couple week days between races camping at Moose Creek.
-NOTES-
535 5th, Helena, Montana. Look for a square, two story house near the grade school, across from the alley, and across the river from town (Railroad Station).
(1) Clancy - Park lake.
(2) Deer Lodge
(3) Bolder - Veterans Park.
(4) Garrison - Bernie & Sharon's Riverfront Park. $18.
07/08/2003, 08:07 PM, Mountain Time. On Going Journal. Park Lake, Clancy, Montana.
One (1) week of catching up to do. This journal will describe the places I'm at or have been. I will also put in it lyrics, poems, odes, and jingles to use for music. (If music is included it will be in the "red" manuscript book). I haven't entered anything yet because I'm trying to figure out where I am and where I'm going to be. I stay last night at Moose Creek Campgrounds, west of Helena. I leave for Great Falls, Montana, Sunday night about 11:00 PM. After setting up, I stay working late in the production room at the Fairground's Grand Stand. I have to re-wire the dub decks. Dave, who initially wires them, has a bird's nest of wires. At races the next day, the lead deck in the stream of three changes channel during race six. I have to unplug everything and hook up the master deck solo. I dub off two copy orders. I leave them for Ken to mail off. By the time I have finished with the production gear, they've locked up the fair grounds gates. I slip my journal, cellphone and bag between the fence and climb over it to get to my truck. I don't know where to go. The map shows a rest area South on I-15, toward Helena. I drive there in the dark. I stop in Ulm to check that my load's tied down. I fall asleep at the rest area in the front seat of my Datsun pick up. It's just like having no where to go in my of Ford Fairmont but smaller in size and less leg room. I wake up at sunrise. I use the rest stop rest room. It has the weather station playing over an intercom in the rest room. I ask the attendant, who happens to be there, if it was on all the time. He says, "Yeah." I don't notice at night, but I have been passing very beautiful out cropping along the highway. Most of Montana's speed limits are 70 MPH and 75 MPH. Ruthy goes that fast down hill but it seems hard for her to keep up at that pace. I buy a tank of gas at Conoco in East Helena and drive to Moose Creek. About Fort Harrison, my truck stalls. I pull into an aquatic park. I scrap off the build up on the distributer cap with my pocket knife. This had happened with Andy in Salem, Oregon, going from Grants Pass to Portland a couple weeks ago.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Blue Skys
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Blue Skys
Page 3
A beautiful camp site and a wonderful day by the lake.
I make out the service $8 fee form for today. That way I'll stay another day. I go down to use the pit toilet around the corner. Just as I get there, a little boy from the trailer next door darts in it. I go to the entrance of the camp area and use that one. If there is anything worth the eight bucks it's the pit toilets and the toilet (3 rolls) paper. I take a short hike down a trial to the lake to wash up. The long wide lake is calm. Blue skys, no clouds, it's gonna make a nice day. The other way from the lake, down the hill, is a small pond with lily pads. I hike back to my #15 camp site and make hot water for instant coffee. I heat up the left over stew from last night in a large coffee pot I bought for $20 in Helena. It just barely fits on my propane burner stove. Now, what do I eat out of if I'm drinking coffee from my metal cup. I'm gonna sort out the stuff in my back pack.
Last Nights Menu (two items)
(1) Nathan's Stew
3 carrots - cut into pieces
3 potatoes - dices
1/2 onion -diced
1/2 lb hamburger
2 hot dogs - sliced (for salt flavor)
Boil 1/2 pot of water and ingredients, cook for 1 hour. Mmmm. (I forgot any seasonings like salt and pepper)
(2) Can 'O Chili. Heated up.
Stew's a little bland but tastes better the next morning.
Turquoise. French: Turkish
Page 3
A beautiful camp site and a wonderful day by the lake.
I make out the service $8 fee form for today. That way I'll stay another day. I go down to use the pit toilet around the corner. Just as I get there, a little boy from the trailer next door darts in it. I go to the entrance of the camp area and use that one. If there is anything worth the eight bucks it's the pit toilets and the toilet (3 rolls) paper. I take a short hike down a trial to the lake to wash up. The long wide lake is calm. Blue skys, no clouds, it's gonna make a nice day. The other way from the lake, down the hill, is a small pond with lily pads. I hike back to my #15 camp site and make hot water for instant coffee. I heat up the left over stew from last night in a large coffee pot I bought for $20 in Helena. It just barely fits on my propane burner stove. Now, what do I eat out of if I'm drinking coffee from my metal cup. I'm gonna sort out the stuff in my back pack.
Last Nights Menu (two items)
(1) Nathan's Stew
3 carrots - cut into pieces
3 potatoes - dices
1/2 onion -diced
1/2 lb hamburger
2 hot dogs - sliced (for salt flavor)
Boil 1/2 pot of water and ingredients, cook for 1 hour. Mmmm. (I forgot any seasonings like salt and pepper)
(2) Can 'O Chili. Heated up.
Stew's a little bland but tastes better the next morning.
Turquoise. French: Turkish
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Chipmunks
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Chipmunks
Page 5
I'm camping on the days between the races.
I got alot of sleep today. Maybe it's the six beers. I scraped out the Jerry Garcia pipe and mixed it with cigar tobacco. I got a good headache. So, I'm up late cooking my stew, burning one piece of fire wood at a time. There's still people pulling in to camp. Every night a dusk a group of Native Americans pound their drums until a star is seen. After they start pounding hard, a couple of the men begin to chant. I hope it's to bring another wonderful day here. Soon as it's dark, they stop. I spent most of the day inside my White Stag tent to avoid the attack of the flies. There are a couple chipmunks around that climb up on the table. I've give them crackers but they only eat when I'm not looking at them. You might even say they're "pesky;" fighting each other, climbing on the tent. The people in #13 have children that carry on all day; hide and seek, climb rocks, and bike riding. So, I'm staying up late for the quiet. In my tent, I charted where to go, well an option to visit different places. I've highlighted my AAA map of Montana for sites suggested in "Rock Hunting in Montana." Most of the sites I'm interested in are South of here. So, before the set up in Mazoola, and before I leave for Fargo, I can do some panning for a little color. Looks like 'not much' going on in Shelby. Hope the races are exciting enough. Man, it's only the first week. I'll be out here 2 1/2 more months. Sure ain't like me to sit on my ass five days a week. Seems unnatural even though the money's good. What can I do during the week to make money for work. It's Montana. There ain't two story buildings in Great Falls. I've maybe found $35 worth of gold in the 5 weeks I spent in Grants Pass, Oregon. Once I get a room in Mazoola or Shelby, I can get a phone card and work on the internet. Identification of the problem has yet to be developed. I'm watching the sands of time drain through my fingers. There's lots of time to write, but, as the past as proven, you can spend whatever time you write. Enough bitching. A road tour is just that. I got to get used to not going home everyday and experience "now."
Page 5
I'm camping on the days between the races.
I got alot of sleep today. Maybe it's the six beers. I scraped out the Jerry Garcia pipe and mixed it with cigar tobacco. I got a good headache. So, I'm up late cooking my stew, burning one piece of fire wood at a time. There's still people pulling in to camp. Every night a dusk a group of Native Americans pound their drums until a star is seen. After they start pounding hard, a couple of the men begin to chant. I hope it's to bring another wonderful day here. Soon as it's dark, they stop. I spent most of the day inside my White Stag tent to avoid the attack of the flies. There are a couple chipmunks around that climb up on the table. I've give them crackers but they only eat when I'm not looking at them. You might even say they're "pesky;" fighting each other, climbing on the tent. The people in #13 have children that carry on all day; hide and seek, climb rocks, and bike riding. So, I'm staying up late for the quiet. In my tent, I charted where to go, well an option to visit different places. I've highlighted my AAA map of Montana for sites suggested in "Rock Hunting in Montana." Most of the sites I'm interested in are South of here. So, before the set up in Mazoola, and before I leave for Fargo, I can do some panning for a little color. Looks like 'not much' going on in Shelby. Hope the races are exciting enough. Man, it's only the first week. I'll be out here 2 1/2 more months. Sure ain't like me to sit on my ass five days a week. Seems unnatural even though the money's good. What can I do during the week to make money for work. It's Montana. There ain't two story buildings in Great Falls. I've maybe found $35 worth of gold in the 5 weeks I spent in Grants Pass, Oregon. Once I get a room in Mazoola or Shelby, I can get a phone card and work on the internet. Identification of the problem has yet to be developed. I'm watching the sands of time drain through my fingers. There's lots of time to write, but, as the past as proven, you can spend whatever time you write. Enough bitching. A road tour is just that. I got to get used to not going home everyday and experience "now."
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Ophir Creek
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Ophir Creek
Page 8
I'm camping in Marysville, Montana, near Ophir Creek.
7/11/3, 07:15PM MT Great Falls, Central Motel, Room 22.
I camp out in Marysville, Montana. I go through the old mining town. There must be two miles of gold mining tailings getting there. I snapp a couple of pictures but they don't show how immense the the piles of tailings are. Marysville has many old "log cabins" from the 1880's mining days. Folks still live Marysville for tourism and skiing in the winter. It's a tiny town in the valley of the mountains. I go up the hill to the ski resort. Odd that there is all this nice new chair lift equipment and lodge but everything's green and it's 90` out. I go back down the road and turn toward Ophir creek. The road gets so bad with ruts and large rocks sticking out, I only get about a mile. I notice a creek on my left. There I see the new camping spot sign... a rock circle for fire. There are no neighbors, no kids, no pit toilets, and lots of mosquitoes, bitting flies and horse flies. So I set up camp from the back of my truck for free. I'm sure I am in the Helena National forest. I hike up creek 1/2 mile and down creek 1/2 mile looking for no trespassing signs and 'color' in the creek. Once again, I get so drunk on Obsidian beer I can't shoot anything with my hand gun. (This pisses me off so bad I shot around at Truman who is watching from a tree stump. I apologize of course). During the heat of the day, the flies get so bad I have to take a nap in my White Stag tent. After the day's cooled off and the flies ascend to whereever flies ascend to, I didn't feel like cooking even though I bought a steak for more stew. I settled for bread, cheese and heat up pork and beans. I spend a good deal of the rest of the afternoon and evening gathering wood. This exhausts me to boredom so that I don't feel like making a camp fire. Four of five trucks pass by going farther up the hill. I've camped close enough to the road that I can wave as they passed by. A couple work trucks come back down at the end of the day. All the trucks that go up the road soon return. I assum the road rans out before the next five miles.
Page 8
I'm camping in Marysville, Montana, near Ophir Creek.
7/11/3, 07:15PM MT Great Falls, Central Motel, Room 22.
I camp out in Marysville, Montana. I go through the old mining town. There must be two miles of gold mining tailings getting there. I snapp a couple of pictures but they don't show how immense the the piles of tailings are. Marysville has many old "log cabins" from the 1880's mining days. Folks still live Marysville for tourism and skiing in the winter. It's a tiny town in the valley of the mountains. I go up the hill to the ski resort. Odd that there is all this nice new chair lift equipment and lodge but everything's green and it's 90` out. I go back down the road and turn toward Ophir creek. The road gets so bad with ruts and large rocks sticking out, I only get about a mile. I notice a creek on my left. There I see the new camping spot sign... a rock circle for fire. There are no neighbors, no kids, no pit toilets, and lots of mosquitoes, bitting flies and horse flies. So I set up camp from the back of my truck for free. I'm sure I am in the Helena National forest. I hike up creek 1/2 mile and down creek 1/2 mile looking for no trespassing signs and 'color' in the creek. Once again, I get so drunk on Obsidian beer I can't shoot anything with my hand gun. (This pisses me off so bad I shot around at Truman who is watching from a tree stump. I apologize of course). During the heat of the day, the flies get so bad I have to take a nap in my White Stag tent. After the day's cooled off and the flies ascend to whereever flies ascend to, I didn't feel like cooking even though I bought a steak for more stew. I settled for bread, cheese and heat up pork and beans. I spend a good deal of the rest of the afternoon and evening gathering wood. This exhausts me to boredom so that I don't feel like making a camp fire. Four of five trucks pass by going farther up the hill. I've camped close enough to the road that I can wave as they passed by. A couple work trucks come back down at the end of the day. All the trucks that go up the road soon return. I assum the road rans out before the next five miles.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Reba
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Reba
Page 10
I meet up with a dog and make a friend outside of Marysville, Montana.
I carefully line up my tent to be sleeping facing north. I loose a piece of my tent poles and have to fashion one out of a stick with my Swiss Army knife. This barely works so I bend around the pole a piece of tin and wrap it with electrical tape. I'm asleep by 10:30pm. I'm a dreaming vividly about what escapes me at the moment, but I wake up thinking "Rose Wild. Why would she pick that name?" First thing I want upon getting going is 'raspberry creme' coffee. I fill the pot with water, sparked up the burner and set the entire operation on the back of the truck. The propane bottle is so tall that the coffee pot tips over when I open the front truck door. I go, "Oh shit" because the burner is still going. I try again, putting it all on the ground. It tips over again. So, I bury the bottle in a dirt mound. It works out fine. Make coffee. Drink coffee. Then three dogs come walking up. The hair on the back of my neck goes straight up. They're three German Short Hairs. A big male one, a mother dog, Maya, and a puppy, Reba. We introduce ourselves. Reba quickly becomes friends. Maya gets a stick and drops it at my feet. "Throw the stick" goes on forever.... Reba tries to get the stick away. After awhile the older dogs wander off. Reba stays, laying down next to me by the creek. Then a red pick up goes up the hill with the two older dogs in the back. I run to the road waving my hands. The truck keeps going. I think why would they leave the puppy. I call the phone number on Reba's collier. The owner, Lance, said he'll send his nephew to get Reba. He doesn't know who the people in the red truck are. I gave Reba cheese (processed food substance) and crackers so she doesn't wander off. I pack up my things and park near the road so I can be seen. Reba takes a nap as I sorted out my briefcase full of receipts. About an hour goes by by when David shows up in an SUV. I tell him about the red truck. So he and Reba go up the hill to find them. They come back 1/2 an hour later. No red truck. He thanks me for returning Reba and invites me to the Marysville Saloon and he'll buy me a steak. Lance is the owner there. About 15 minutes after they leave and the red truck comes back down
Page 10
I meet up with a dog and make a friend outside of Marysville, Montana.
I carefully line up my tent to be sleeping facing north. I loose a piece of my tent poles and have to fashion one out of a stick with my Swiss Army knife. This barely works so I bend around the pole a piece of tin and wrap it with electrical tape. I'm asleep by 10:30pm. I'm a dreaming vividly about what escapes me at the moment, but I wake up thinking "Rose Wild. Why would she pick that name?" First thing I want upon getting going is 'raspberry creme' coffee. I fill the pot with water, sparked up the burner and set the entire operation on the back of the truck. The propane bottle is so tall that the coffee pot tips over when I open the front truck door. I go, "Oh shit" because the burner is still going. I try again, putting it all on the ground. It tips over again. So, I bury the bottle in a dirt mound. It works out fine. Make coffee. Drink coffee. Then three dogs come walking up. The hair on the back of my neck goes straight up. They're three German Short Hairs. A big male one, a mother dog, Maya, and a puppy, Reba. We introduce ourselves. Reba quickly becomes friends. Maya gets a stick and drops it at my feet. "Throw the stick" goes on forever.... Reba tries to get the stick away. After awhile the older dogs wander off. Reba stays, laying down next to me by the creek. Then a red pick up goes up the hill with the two older dogs in the back. I run to the road waving my hands. The truck keeps going. I think why would they leave the puppy. I call the phone number on Reba's collier. The owner, Lance, said he'll send his nephew to get Reba. He doesn't know who the people in the red truck are. I gave Reba cheese (processed food substance) and crackers so she doesn't wander off. I pack up my things and park near the road so I can be seen. Reba takes a nap as I sorted out my briefcase full of receipts. About an hour goes by by when David shows up in an SUV. I tell him about the red truck. So he and Reba go up the hill to find them. They come back 1/2 an hour later. No red truck. He thanks me for returning Reba and invites me to the Marysville Saloon and he'll buy me a steak. Lance is the owner there. About 15 minutes after they leave and the red truck comes back down
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Shelby, Montana
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Shelby, Montana
The End of Racing
There are plenty of events going on around the Shelby Fairgrounds.
At the end of the races, everybody splits in 10 minutes. I go back to my hotel room. Pat, Brian and Judah go to check in their room at the hotel. Pat and the desk clerk clash personalities. Out of spite, the clerk sets up all three of them in a non-smoking, single room that's the size of the one single bed. Ken goes to the office and settles the whole thing with the clerk. Pat, Brian and Judah get a large room with three beds. Pat goes, "the customer is never right." Ken goes, "Pat can be sent home." I go to Albertson's to get deck cleaning alcohol, q-tips, and a twelve pack of PBR's. I try two other places in Shelby before I find ice. I go back to the Shelby Fairground's track to clean heads and straighten out the mess. The fair is having a destruction derby in the center of the track. I hadn't seen a destruction derby for years and years. Looking on was fun, I have a view from the judges booth on the roof. The master deck stack signal can't be recorded. The first thing I think is that the modulator over is heated. I swap out the modulator. Sure enough, up pops the signal. I take out the tape stuck in the new deck by unscrewing the screws and taking the top off the deck. I start cleaning the first deck. I get a hold of Andy on the cell phone. I yak with him while I'm working on the tape deck. I tell him about the destruction derby and horse racing in general. We make plans for a band gig in Portland, Oregon happening on Halloween. There are no light bulbs or lights at all in the production room. Once the daylight is gone, I'm finished. I watch a rock band play music on the track stage while I'm on the roof. The band's a loud four piece with a double kick drum kit. They're a good rock band. Their harder rock sound repels the country audience like two alike poles of a magnet. A group of guys in cowboy hats are not all that interested in the band. I take a flash picture from the roof and then explore around the rest of the Fairgrounds. There are lots of motor homes and tents parked in back of the midway. I go back to the hotel. Pat, Brian and Judah aren't anywhere to be seen. So, I return to my room. Ken's up late. I boot up my computer. I have to tighten down the screws inside the computer that hold the CD burners in place. They had shaken loose going over the rough Glacier National Park roads. Ken shows me how to play Spider Solitary. It goes right over my head. I get to bed early. Ken is still talking to me when I fall asleep. I get going early the next day. I stop at the discount store for a couple more quality video tapes. I try cleaning the head on main deck. No use. Something has really gone wrong with it. I swap the bad deck out for a new deck and a new video tape. I'm hungry, so I get breakfast at the 4H booth; eggs, links, hash browns, and coffee. The coffee tastes like Iodine, which Ken says tastes good.
The End of Racing
There are plenty of events going on around the Shelby Fairgrounds.
At the end of the races, everybody splits in 10 minutes. I go back to my hotel room. Pat, Brian and Judah go to check in their room at the hotel. Pat and the desk clerk clash personalities. Out of spite, the clerk sets up all three of them in a non-smoking, single room that's the size of the one single bed. Ken goes to the office and settles the whole thing with the clerk. Pat, Brian and Judah get a large room with three beds. Pat goes, "the customer is never right." Ken goes, "Pat can be sent home." I go to Albertson's to get deck cleaning alcohol, q-tips, and a twelve pack of PBR's. I try two other places in Shelby before I find ice. I go back to the Shelby Fairground's track to clean heads and straighten out the mess. The fair is having a destruction derby in the center of the track. I hadn't seen a destruction derby for years and years. Looking on was fun, I have a view from the judges booth on the roof. The master deck stack signal can't be recorded. The first thing I think is that the modulator over is heated. I swap out the modulator. Sure enough, up pops the signal. I take out the tape stuck in the new deck by unscrewing the screws and taking the top off the deck. I start cleaning the first deck. I get a hold of Andy on the cell phone. I yak with him while I'm working on the tape deck. I tell him about the destruction derby and horse racing in general. We make plans for a band gig in Portland, Oregon happening on Halloween. There are no light bulbs or lights at all in the production room. Once the daylight is gone, I'm finished. I watch a rock band play music on the track stage while I'm on the roof. The band's a loud four piece with a double kick drum kit. They're a good rock band. Their harder rock sound repels the country audience like two alike poles of a magnet. A group of guys in cowboy hats are not all that interested in the band. I take a flash picture from the roof and then explore around the rest of the Fairgrounds. There are lots of motor homes and tents parked in back of the midway. I go back to the hotel. Pat, Brian and Judah aren't anywhere to be seen. So, I return to my room. Ken's up late. I boot up my computer. I have to tighten down the screws inside the computer that hold the CD burners in place. They had shaken loose going over the rough Glacier National Park roads. Ken shows me how to play Spider Solitary. It goes right over my head. I get to bed early. Ken is still talking to me when I fall asleep. I get going early the next day. I stop at the discount store for a couple more quality video tapes. I try cleaning the head on main deck. No use. Something has really gone wrong with it. I swap the bad deck out for a new deck and a new video tape. I'm hungry, so I get breakfast at the 4H booth; eggs, links, hash browns, and coffee. The coffee tastes like Iodine, which Ken says tastes good.
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: A Large Mammoth Woolly Creature
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: A Large Mammoth Woolly Creature
Page 20
I'm traveling to St. Mary's and cross paths with a Sasquatch. I have a baseball dream while camping in Glacier National Park.
By the time I get to St. Mary's I can't see a thing that didn't have lights, like the super 'Rising Sun' lodge. (Editor's note: On the road here last night I see a large mammoth woolly creature and a group of smaller creatures crossing the road. I don't tell a soul about it because there are no pictures or audio, and there's no one is around). I thought when Steve said camping here is good, I thought he meant I'd be in the woods. So, I stay sitting up in my truck by the boat launch until about 2AM. I fall asleep some but wake up cold and have to pee. I get back in and closed the door to my truck, I have 3 or 4 mosquito guest for company all night. We spray Cutters and puff a cigar for a high. I kill them off when the sun comes up. A few more come in through a hole in the floor. Now, it's 8AM. I'm going to the visitor center and see if the Bell Hop's up yet. I can see the beautiful Glacier Mountains from here. Today looks like a hot one.
DREAM: I'm walking down the stairs of a building with Ted Peters. He comes to get me cos the Boss wants to hang out with me. Pay "ME" to hang out, yes. We're going down the steps and Ted starts going two, three steps at a time. Then he's going down by sliding his feet on the railing. He misses and falls. He lands on a rail with his crotch. He gets up and straightens up his suite. He says he's OK. We get to the basement and the Boss wants me to look out the back door. There's a crowd of people playing softball. The pitcher, a heavy Asian woman in a dark summer softball uniform rolls the ball off her arm for the pitch. The batter hits the ball far out into the field. Then the crowd is immediately playing dead ball. A skinny lady with short red hair who is standing next to me gets hit in the face with the ball when she not looking. She crumples to the ground holding her face. I cant help but to say, " That's got to hurt." She's rolling on the ground. She goes, "Yes, that hurts."
Page 20
I'm traveling to St. Mary's and cross paths with a Sasquatch. I have a baseball dream while camping in Glacier National Park.
By the time I get to St. Mary's I can't see a thing that didn't have lights, like the super 'Rising Sun' lodge. (Editor's note: On the road here last night I see a large mammoth woolly creature and a group of smaller creatures crossing the road. I don't tell a soul about it because there are no pictures or audio, and there's no one is around). I thought when Steve said camping here is good, I thought he meant I'd be in the woods. So, I stay sitting up in my truck by the boat launch until about 2AM. I fall asleep some but wake up cold and have to pee. I get back in and closed the door to my truck, I have 3 or 4 mosquito guest for company all night. We spray Cutters and puff a cigar for a high. I kill them off when the sun comes up. A few more come in through a hole in the floor. Now, it's 8AM. I'm going to the visitor center and see if the Bell Hop's up yet. I can see the beautiful Glacier Mountains from here. Today looks like a hot one.
DREAM: I'm walking down the stairs of a building with Ted Peters. He comes to get me cos the Boss wants to hang out with me. Pay "ME" to hang out, yes. We're going down the steps and Ted starts going two, three steps at a time. Then he's going down by sliding his feet on the railing. He misses and falls. He lands on a rail with his crotch. He gets up and straightens up his suite. He says he's OK. We get to the basement and the Boss wants me to look out the back door. There's a crowd of people playing softball. The pitcher, a heavy Asian woman in a dark summer softball uniform rolls the ball off her arm for the pitch. The batter hits the ball far out into the field. Then the crowd is immediately playing dead ball. A skinny lady with short red hair who is standing next to me gets hit in the face with the ball when she not looking. She crumples to the ground holding her face. I cant help but to say, " That's got to hurt." She's rolling on the ground. She goes, "Yes, that hurts."
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: Metal Detector
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: Metal Detector
Page 18
There's a little time before the races get started at Fair Grounds.
We start carrying the equipment to the roof. It's really on the roof. The Judges room is on the left. Then there is the radio stations room. The the darkroom is without water. You have to carry up the water. Then, to get to video productions, you go back out on the roof and around to the side. It's maybe a 10x10 "room." We finish bringing the equipment upstairs. We go to McDonalds for a cheese burger and coke. Ken stops by the discount store and the hardware store. I'm looking for a new pole for my tent. No luck. Not much in Shelby. I get a tour of both blocks in downtown Shelby. There is a Radio Shack, two hair saloons, five or six bars and taverns, and an empty building or two.
We go back to the track. Ken has two metal detectors he keeps in his trunk. He sets me up with the fundamentals. I am on my way. I found an ear off a pair of glasses, a link of chain, a washer, and a couple broken bulb bases. I have Ken show me how to set the sensitivity. By this time he's found dimes, pennies and a dollar piece. I am to listen for a high pitch tone and watch the detector scale. The detector "beeps" I find my 1st penny. About this time the carnival rides start arriving to the same field. A couple of the Carnies come over to ask "How it is going. I get a good "beep" for them, but it turns out to be a Hypodermic needle. They have their suspicions as to who it belonged to. We put the detectors back in the trunk. Ken knows Conny and Larry from the Old Time Picture Booth trailer. They are staying in their camper behind their photo trailer. I stand around as they talk Photoshop. Larry gets hungry so we go to Pizza Hut for a large supreme. Larry has a story about being in a bar in Browning when his buddy says this joke out loud; "How do you flirt with and Indian woman?" Tell her "My that's a beautiful tooth."
It gets late. Larry is tired from getting up at five to get his trailer breaks fixed. I want to get going cos I have 100 miles to get to Glacier. Ken keeps talking and talking. Finally I leave and stop at Albertsons for drinks. There's a mail box. I send Art Jones a postcard and mail in a few expenses to Steve. By this time it's 10:30PM. I head west through Cut Bank and Browning. After Browning, there's not any traffic. The moon come out full.
Page 18
There's a little time before the races get started at Fair Grounds.
We start carrying the equipment to the roof. It's really on the roof. The Judges room is on the left. Then there is the radio stations room. The the darkroom is without water. You have to carry up the water. Then, to get to video productions, you go back out on the roof and around to the side. It's maybe a 10x10 "room." We finish bringing the equipment upstairs. We go to McDonalds for a cheese burger and coke. Ken stops by the discount store and the hardware store. I'm looking for a new pole for my tent. No luck. Not much in Shelby. I get a tour of both blocks in downtown Shelby. There is a Radio Shack, two hair saloons, five or six bars and taverns, and an empty building or two.
We go back to the track. Ken has two metal detectors he keeps in his trunk. He sets me up with the fundamentals. I am on my way. I found an ear off a pair of glasses, a link of chain, a washer, and a couple broken bulb bases. I have Ken show me how to set the sensitivity. By this time he's found dimes, pennies and a dollar piece. I am to listen for a high pitch tone and watch the detector scale. The detector "beeps" I find my 1st penny. About this time the carnival rides start arriving to the same field. A couple of the Carnies come over to ask "How it is going. I get a good "beep" for them, but it turns out to be a Hypodermic needle. They have their suspicions as to who it belonged to. We put the detectors back in the trunk. Ken knows Conny and Larry from the Old Time Picture Booth trailer. They are staying in their camper behind their photo trailer. I stand around as they talk Photoshop. Larry gets hungry so we go to Pizza Hut for a large supreme. Larry has a story about being in a bar in Browning when his buddy says this joke out loud; "How do you flirt with and Indian woman?" Tell her "My that's a beautiful tooth."
It gets late. Larry is tired from getting up at five to get his trailer breaks fixed. I want to get going cos I have 100 miles to get to Glacier. Ken keeps talking and talking. Finally I leave and stop at Albertsons for drinks. There's a mail box. I send Art Jones a postcard and mail in a few expenses to Steve. By this time it's 10:30PM. I head west through Cut Bank and Browning. After Browning, there's not any traffic. The moon come out full.
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: Park Ranger
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: Park Ranger
Page 22
Bears are plentiful and dangerous in Montana. The weather becomes extreme as the thermometer mercury climbs.
"No peace. Peace is for those who got theirs, Money. Peace the whole peace and nothing but peas."
7/16/3 12:54PM.
Oops, the Rangers came by. (I'm the Bears). I tell them I'm staying the one night. Little white lie saves me $12. Now another Park Ranger is checking the Iodine level in the water (Iodine water?). They say stop in later 3-4PM to say "hey." It seems like when I get this High, the local Gate Keeper stops by. It must be the Vibe. I was dreaming last night.
DREAM: I've pissed off Mark and we're gonna fight. It's a boxing match. I put on a balloon on my right hand. I have to blow it up. It's very large and doesn't fit tied to my wrist. I tell all my friends about the fight. I get a real pair of gloves. I'm a boxer. I tell my girlfriend. She tries to persuade me no to fight. Then she kisses me and encourages me to go ahead. I keep thinking maybe I can get a headgear set. "I'm gonna break my nose, mess up my face." If I batter around my brains will I still be able to think and Karaoke like Tanya Harding.
Darn Sticky Tunes
i bVI bVII i >>> bVI bIII bVII IV
bIII I bIII bVI
i IV v bIII
bVI I bIII i
bVI I >>> V(II) V(I) #III II
>>> bVI iv(V) i i i
i IV v i >>> bVII(bIII) bVI(bIII)
Tom Petty, my bird, DIES 7/19/2003, 12:45PM Mountain time.
(Editor note: this is where the picture of my dead pet bird on the chair goes).
07/19/3 Shelby, Montana.
I start out in #2 campsite in glacier Park. There is a drop of rain that wakes me up at 6:30AM. It doesn't rain. But, I think it will so I get up and leave. Of course, it stops raining before it starts; as if the only rain drop around hits me in the for head. I drive through the south west part of Glacier Park, through Browning and through Shelby. I stop a McDonalds, but it's 10:15 and no burgers until 10:30. So, I go to Subway for a ham & turkey. I don't know how far away I've been camping, so I leave really early.
I start setting up. My first set up and run, so I want a little time to check for problems. I have to hardwire an intercom for Rawly and Stewards. I have to a wire up the tote signal. I check and recheck my six decks. I get together the six tapes for the race. It's clear out and getting hot out.
Page 22
Bears are plentiful and dangerous in Montana. The weather becomes extreme as the thermometer mercury climbs.
"No peace. Peace is for those who got theirs, Money. Peace the whole peace and nothing but peas."
7/16/3 12:54PM.
Oops, the Rangers came by. (I'm the Bears). I tell them I'm staying the one night. Little white lie saves me $12. Now another Park Ranger is checking the Iodine level in the water (Iodine water?). They say stop in later 3-4PM to say "hey." It seems like when I get this High, the local Gate Keeper stops by. It must be the Vibe. I was dreaming last night.
DREAM: I've pissed off Mark and we're gonna fight. It's a boxing match. I put on a balloon on my right hand. I have to blow it up. It's very large and doesn't fit tied to my wrist. I tell all my friends about the fight. I get a real pair of gloves. I'm a boxer. I tell my girlfriend. She tries to persuade me no to fight. Then she kisses me and encourages me to go ahead. I keep thinking maybe I can get a headgear set. "I'm gonna break my nose, mess up my face." If I batter around my brains will I still be able to think and Karaoke like Tanya Harding.
Darn Sticky Tunes
i bVI bVII i >>> bVI bIII bVII IV
bIII I bIII bVI
i IV v bIII
bVI I bIII i
bVI I >>> V(II) V(I) #III II
>>> bVI iv(V) i i i
i IV v i >>> bVII(bIII) bVI(bIII)
Tom Petty, my bird, DIES 7/19/2003, 12:45PM Mountain time.
(Editor note: this is where the picture of my dead pet bird on the chair goes).
07/19/3 Shelby, Montana.
I start out in #2 campsite in glacier Park. There is a drop of rain that wakes me up at 6:30AM. It doesn't rain. But, I think it will so I get up and leave. Of course, it stops raining before it starts; as if the only rain drop around hits me in the for head. I drive through the south west part of Glacier Park, through Browning and through Shelby. I stop a McDonalds, but it's 10:15 and no burgers until 10:30. So, I go to Subway for a ham & turkey. I don't know how far away I've been camping, so I leave really early.
I start setting up. My first set up and run, so I want a little time to check for problems. I have to hardwire an intercom for Rawly and Stewards. I have to a wire up the tote signal. I check and recheck my six decks. I get together the six tapes for the race. It's clear out and getting hot out.
Brydn's 2003 Montana Travel Journal: The VCR Tapes Are Melting
Brydn's 2003 Montana Travel Journal: The VCR Tapes Are Melting
Page 26
By the time I reach Shelby, Montana, the heat is well into the 100's. The video production room is on the roof, a fine place for a hot day.
I heft the head on camera into the tower. First time up the crawl ladder, I gash my head on the cage because I thought the space between the ladder and the cage were a little wider. The gate keeper sees me. I just about blank out. Post time is at 4pm. There are 5 five races. Pat, Brian and their friend Judah show up. Ken and Judah go to the backside office to license Judah. Pat, Brian and I go up on the roof tower to set up the backside tower camera. We have to tear off the door to get in. It's full of bird nest material and empty drink containers. I white balance and filter up the camera. Judah has done this before, so he doesn't need a lot of explanations. I go back to the roof. The next thing I know it's post time. The post parade is out on the track. I hit record on my decks. Immediately, the head on deck dies. I hit record again and it stops again. "Oh shit." I go to aim my camera. The head is mounted too far back. I can't see the gate. "And they're off." After a couple seconds, the first quarter house race runs by. No record of the gate. All I have for the tape is me testing the pan camera out Monday on a girl as she rides by her horse. Rawley comes in and points out the pan is mounted wrong. Pat and I moved it to the edge of the window. I can now see down the track. I put a fresh tape in the head-on deck. Head on camera is super blue and over saturated or washed out. Second race; head-on deck eats the tape. The judges seem to want reruns of every race. I have the correct angle on the master deck. Third race; I replace the head-on deck with a new out of the box JVC deck. I put in fresh tape. The deck eats it. I have to cut tape out with my knife. No head-on camera signal at all. I swap to the original deck. Race three; have to keep pushing record button on head-on deck to get it to stay on. Race four; the master deck stack goes blank. It's 95` outdoors and on the roof it's hotter. I don't record on the master. There's nothing on monitor but blue screen. The cassette plastic on the VCR tapes are melting, warping and not going into the deck. Race five; head-on deck and now the back side deck starts recording so I just leave them on. The stewards ask for replays. Again, all I have are the pan and backside angles.
Page 26
By the time I reach Shelby, Montana, the heat is well into the 100's. The video production room is on the roof, a fine place for a hot day.
I heft the head on camera into the tower. First time up the crawl ladder, I gash my head on the cage because I thought the space between the ladder and the cage were a little wider. The gate keeper sees me. I just about blank out. Post time is at 4pm. There are 5 five races. Pat, Brian and their friend Judah show up. Ken and Judah go to the backside office to license Judah. Pat, Brian and I go up on the roof tower to set up the backside tower camera. We have to tear off the door to get in. It's full of bird nest material and empty drink containers. I white balance and filter up the camera. Judah has done this before, so he doesn't need a lot of explanations. I go back to the roof. The next thing I know it's post time. The post parade is out on the track. I hit record on my decks. Immediately, the head on deck dies. I hit record again and it stops again. "Oh shit." I go to aim my camera. The head is mounted too far back. I can't see the gate. "And they're off." After a couple seconds, the first quarter house race runs by. No record of the gate. All I have for the tape is me testing the pan camera out Monday on a girl as she rides by her horse. Rawley comes in and points out the pan is mounted wrong. Pat and I moved it to the edge of the window. I can now see down the track. I put a fresh tape in the head-on deck. Head on camera is super blue and over saturated or washed out. Second race; head-on deck eats the tape. The judges seem to want reruns of every race. I have the correct angle on the master deck. Third race; I replace the head-on deck with a new out of the box JVC deck. I put in fresh tape. The deck eats it. I have to cut tape out with my knife. No head-on camera signal at all. I swap to the original deck. Race three; have to keep pushing record button on head-on deck to get it to stay on. Race four; the master deck stack goes blank. It's 95` outdoors and on the roof it's hotter. I don't record on the master. There's nothing on monitor but blue screen. The cassette plastic on the VCR tapes are melting, warping and not going into the deck. Race five; head-on deck and now the back side deck starts recording so I just leave them on. The stewards ask for replays. Again, all I have are the pan and backside angles.
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: The Judge, the Owner and the Jockey
Brydn 2003 Montana Travel Journal: The Judge, the Owner and the Jockey
Page 30
My pet bird dies back in Portland, Oregon. The Judge calls the Owner and the Jockey in for reruns. The front gate lady gets taken to the hospital for heat stroke. My room has bugs.
After eating breakfast, I go out to the head-on tower with a monitor and modulator to check the image off the head-on camera. The filter and the gain are set to night settings. I adjust these settings to automatic. The tower has only two outlets so I can't plug in both monitor and modulator at the same time. At 12:30PM I go out to the back side and set up that camera. Megan calls earlier to let me know that Yoko finch had perked up after laying a miss shaped egg. It's now one o'clock and I have to play the 5th race re-runs for Rawley the judge, the owner of a horse and it's jockey. Just as I'm about to start when Megan calls again to say she arrived home to find that Tom Petty, my bird, is dead on the bottom of his cage. She says he was fine that morning and that she had him on her shoulder. This is hard for me at the time because I'm talking to the judge on the intercom at the same time Megan is telling me this on the phone. Plus, I don't have the head-on angle for the judge. With the new deck and the new tapes, the rest of the day goes well. The master deck goes down, but it turns out to be the monitor cable. The weather is hot and windy. I feel bad about loosing Tom. He was a good friend for many years. I ask Megan to bury him next to Squeaky Weaver. After work, Ken and I get dinner at Penny's restaurant. We stop at Albertsons for a card and flowers for the lady at the Fairground's entrance gate who got sunstroke and went to the hospital. They've sent her home by the time we get there. We look her up in the phone book and take the card and flowers to her house. I go back to the room. I'm covered with dust and sweat. I take a shower and get cleaned up. After that, I just go to bed around 10:30PM.
7/20/3.
I wake up at 6AM with a beetle bug biting my hand. Just killed another one. In looking around, there's more of them on the curtains.
Page 30
My pet bird dies back in Portland, Oregon. The Judge calls the Owner and the Jockey in for reruns. The front gate lady gets taken to the hospital for heat stroke. My room has bugs.
After eating breakfast, I go out to the head-on tower with a monitor and modulator to check the image off the head-on camera. The filter and the gain are set to night settings. I adjust these settings to automatic. The tower has only two outlets so I can't plug in both monitor and modulator at the same time. At 12:30PM I go out to the back side and set up that camera. Megan calls earlier to let me know that Yoko finch had perked up after laying a miss shaped egg. It's now one o'clock and I have to play the 5th race re-runs for Rawley the judge, the owner of a horse and it's jockey. Just as I'm about to start when Megan calls again to say she arrived home to find that Tom Petty, my bird, is dead on the bottom of his cage. She says he was fine that morning and that she had him on her shoulder. This is hard for me at the time because I'm talking to the judge on the intercom at the same time Megan is telling me this on the phone. Plus, I don't have the head-on angle for the judge. With the new deck and the new tapes, the rest of the day goes well. The master deck goes down, but it turns out to be the monitor cable. The weather is hot and windy. I feel bad about loosing Tom. He was a good friend for many years. I ask Megan to bury him next to Squeaky Weaver. After work, Ken and I get dinner at Penny's restaurant. We stop at Albertsons for a card and flowers for the lady at the Fairground's entrance gate who got sunstroke and went to the hospital. They've sent her home by the time we get there. We look her up in the phone book and take the card and flowers to her house. I go back to the room. I'm covered with dust and sweat. I take a shower and get cleaned up. After that, I just go to bed around 10:30PM.
7/20/3.
I wake up at 6AM with a beetle bug biting my hand. Just killed another one. In looking around, there's more of them on the curtains.
Brydn's 2003 Montana Travel Journal: A Bottle of White Wine
Brydn's 2003 Montana Travel Journal: A Bottle of White Wine
Page 32
The last day in town before I head out to camp near Lewistown, Montana.
10:41pm, Mt. Crystal Lake Camp Ground near Lewistown, Montana.
The last day goes very good. My three source decks work all day without any glitch. The master deck craps out for a race, then it's alright. After the last race the Murphy boys and Judah help me carry the equipment to my truck. We heap everything on for an impressive load; 8 tvs, the blue production anvil case with the switches, the finish line mirror and the stands, boxes of wires, and buckets of tools. Then I tie it down and go to my room at the Ohare Manor. I thought that a new Soprano's show was on, but it was a just a repeat. I walk to Albertsons and bought 3 burritos, 3 string cheeses, a bottle of wine, a 3lb can of coffee, and two tonic drinks. I pass a real estate office on the way. Most of the houses with property they have posted in the window are $25,000 or less. I go back to the room. I eat the burritos and cheese. I start writing down rhyme schemes from the country music channel. Then I take a long hot bath. I end up drinking the entire bottle of white wine. I get sick and throw up a couple times. I wake up on top of the bed all hung over. In the morning, I brake down the computer and load my things onto the massive truck load. It's so spectacular that I park out front of the Motel and snap a picture. The Interstate back to Great Falls goes well. I get back to the Fair Grounds about 12:30pm. Ken says he'll be there after noon. He never shows, so I heft everything up to the roof myself. I get finished around 3pm. Steve calls just as I'm leaving. He says Ken's waiting at home for me to call. Slightly pisses me off; that and it's 103` again today. So, Steve says he's booked me a room from Thursday through Sunday. After that, a trucking company is taking the equipment to Mazoola, which is on Monday. I got to St. Vincent DePaul's and buy 2 pans and a "Learn Morris Code" cassette. I go to Big Bear next and buy an 8x8 tent. I get some groceries, water, ice, motor oil and bug spray.
Page 32
The last day in town before I head out to camp near Lewistown, Montana.
10:41pm, Mt. Crystal Lake Camp Ground near Lewistown, Montana.
The last day goes very good. My three source decks work all day without any glitch. The master deck craps out for a race, then it's alright. After the last race the Murphy boys and Judah help me carry the equipment to my truck. We heap everything on for an impressive load; 8 tvs, the blue production anvil case with the switches, the finish line mirror and the stands, boxes of wires, and buckets of tools. Then I tie it down and go to my room at the Ohare Manor. I thought that a new Soprano's show was on, but it was a just a repeat. I walk to Albertsons and bought 3 burritos, 3 string cheeses, a bottle of wine, a 3lb can of coffee, and two tonic drinks. I pass a real estate office on the way. Most of the houses with property they have posted in the window are $25,000 or less. I go back to the room. I eat the burritos and cheese. I start writing down rhyme schemes from the country music channel. Then I take a long hot bath. I end up drinking the entire bottle of white wine. I get sick and throw up a couple times. I wake up on top of the bed all hung over. In the morning, I brake down the computer and load my things onto the massive truck load. It's so spectacular that I park out front of the Motel and snap a picture. The Interstate back to Great Falls goes well. I get back to the Fair Grounds about 12:30pm. Ken says he'll be there after noon. He never shows, so I heft everything up to the roof myself. I get finished around 3pm. Steve calls just as I'm leaving. He says Ken's waiting at home for me to call. Slightly pisses me off; that and it's 103` again today. So, Steve says he's booked me a room from Thursday through Sunday. After that, a trucking company is taking the equipment to Mazoola, which is on Monday. I got to St. Vincent DePaul's and buy 2 pans and a "Learn Morris Code" cassette. I go to Big Bear next and buy an 8x8 tent. I get some groceries, water, ice, motor oil and bug spray.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Ghost of Camp Maiden
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Ghost of Camp Maiden
Page 36
I stay over at an abandoned youth camp that's haunted with a Cowboy in bright blue denim jeans.
Maiden, Montana; 1881, Population: 6000, mostly tents along the creek. 1883; 154 houses. Camp Maiden; Maiden, Montana, 9:13am.
Inscriptions in Cabin #5; "When the doors of perception are cleansed, things will appear as they really are," "This cabin is haunted," "Peace plus love equals = Happiness," "Fuck authority, silent majority," "Raised by the system, now it's time to run against them," "This is my bunghole, stay out," "Pain is weakness leaving the body," "I was here in '99," "Love is forever," "If you want it to be, never take love never," "Rat Rules."
Signs of Maiden Camp being haunted: (1) Phone ringing 7 times in main cabin. (2) David Lee Roth's name written all over cabin #6. (3) Cabin #5 says "this cabin is haunted." (4) Cowboy standing in corner of my eye in hat and bright blue denim jeans. (5) "Sneeze" coming from distance in the woods.
12:00 NOON MT, Central Motel, Great Falls, Montana.
DREAM: I'm at a friends house hiding out. Barbara, dressed in a green suite, is sitting back on the couch. I ask for a hug, because I could use a hug. She lightly hugs me. I'm down town. I'm walking down the sidewalk. There's a left over diamond shaped sign from when the airport was there.
I wake up all night long. I get a nap in the afternoon. It may have been the heat as it is once again near 100`. I get a weird feeling that I'm not wanted at camp Maiden. Not any "no trespassing signs" or anything that say I can't stay. A squirrel keeps dropping pine cones onto the picnic table. I move my truck to the back of the lot. I fall asleep on the picnic table but the bugs keep waking me. I put up the tent but the sun moves in heating it up. So, I just stay up. I read the Haynes Handbook for my truck. I keep the blue tarp on cos I feel someone is going to ask what am I dong here. At dusk, I hear a tractor up the road. It goes back up the hill about dark. I walk to the meadow toward the sound. All I can see three are dirt colored roofs farther out past the meadow. It gets dark. I go to bed with my sleeping bag, pillow, flashlight and the police whistle. About 11:30pm, I wake up to the sound of something scratching the tent. chewing it like a rat or squire. The hair stands up on the back of my neck. I slap the side of the tent and it scampers off. I fall back asleep until it happens again at 2:30am. A yard light has come on since dusk on the main mess hall building. I look for lights on the buildings across the meadow, but can see none.
I get up at 5:30am, the break of dawn, I put away the tent and leave camp Maiden. I go back the way I came in to find the direction sign point back to camp Maiden to get to Judith. I go past the place I thought was a tractor or the building across the meadow. No sign of either. I go up the hill to Judith as far as I can. There is a new grave on the extreme hill. I loose traction, so I turn around, again, no sign of any buildings. I find the real ghost town of Maiden, but having enough of specters, I don't stop. I drive straight through to the Fairgrounds in Great Falls.
Page 36
I stay over at an abandoned youth camp that's haunted with a Cowboy in bright blue denim jeans.
Maiden, Montana; 1881, Population: 6000, mostly tents along the creek. 1883; 154 houses. Camp Maiden; Maiden, Montana, 9:13am.
Inscriptions in Cabin #5; "When the doors of perception are cleansed, things will appear as they really are," "This cabin is haunted," "Peace plus love equals = Happiness," "Fuck authority, silent majority," "Raised by the system, now it's time to run against them," "This is my bunghole, stay out," "Pain is weakness leaving the body," "I was here in '99," "Love is forever," "If you want it to be, never take love never," "Rat Rules."
Signs of Maiden Camp being haunted: (1) Phone ringing 7 times in main cabin. (2) David Lee Roth's name written all over cabin #6. (3) Cabin #5 says "this cabin is haunted." (4) Cowboy standing in corner of my eye in hat and bright blue denim jeans. (5) "Sneeze" coming from distance in the woods.
12:00 NOON MT, Central Motel, Great Falls, Montana.
DREAM: I'm at a friends house hiding out. Barbara, dressed in a green suite, is sitting back on the couch. I ask for a hug, because I could use a hug. She lightly hugs me. I'm down town. I'm walking down the sidewalk. There's a left over diamond shaped sign from when the airport was there.
I wake up all night long. I get a nap in the afternoon. It may have been the heat as it is once again near 100`. I get a weird feeling that I'm not wanted at camp Maiden. Not any "no trespassing signs" or anything that say I can't stay. A squirrel keeps dropping pine cones onto the picnic table. I move my truck to the back of the lot. I fall asleep on the picnic table but the bugs keep waking me. I put up the tent but the sun moves in heating it up. So, I just stay up. I read the Haynes Handbook for my truck. I keep the blue tarp on cos I feel someone is going to ask what am I dong here. At dusk, I hear a tractor up the road. It goes back up the hill about dark. I walk to the meadow toward the sound. All I can see three are dirt colored roofs farther out past the meadow. It gets dark. I go to bed with my sleeping bag, pillow, flashlight and the police whistle. About 11:30pm, I wake up to the sound of something scratching the tent. chewing it like a rat or squire. The hair stands up on the back of my neck. I slap the side of the tent and it scampers off. I fall back asleep until it happens again at 2:30am. A yard light has come on since dusk on the main mess hall building. I look for lights on the buildings across the meadow, but can see none.
I get up at 5:30am, the break of dawn, I put away the tent and leave camp Maiden. I go back the way I came in to find the direction sign point back to camp Maiden to get to Judith. I go past the place I thought was a tractor or the building across the meadow. No sign of either. I go up the hill to Judith as far as I can. There is a new grave on the extreme hill. I loose traction, so I turn around, again, no sign of any buildings. I find the real ghost town of Maiden, but having enough of specters, I don't stop. I drive straight through to the Fairgrounds in Great Falls.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Old Abandoned Houses
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Old Abandoned Houses
Page 41
I have a day to get ready for the races. I dream about an old house. The video system is easy enough to set up.
Ken hasn't brought by the tape decks yet. I go get a cooked breakfast at JD's restaurant. I have a meat lovers omelet. I call Ken. He says the two TV's I left by his door weren't there when he got there. He'll be around later. I call Megan to say,"Hey." I go to Version and get an attachment to connect to the internet with my cell phone. It costs $65. I go back to Fairgrounds. I check in the motel and install the software on my computer. The modem on phone is 14k slow, but it works. I break down the gear and go to the room. The maid isn't finished but it's good enough. Nice crap without bunghole. Man, that Ken is lazy. It just may start raining.
DREAM: Old abandoned houses. I go in the wrong one. No paint, just weathered wood. I realize I'm in wrong house when I step through the rotting floor. The front porch is just as bad of shape. The porch railing has rounded small pole "pickets" and some of them are missing. A group of people are gathered outside, standing around as if a party. A couple of the men are cops. They don't know someone gave me a wire sieve full of Buds.
First thing I do is go to the bank. There are two old ladies at the cash machine. They says I'll have to wait 20 minutes because it's out of money. I think these nice old ladies have to be pulling a scam. I tell them I'll go inside and get them some help. I get in line. I'm reminded how much I don't like US Bank. Mallissa the teller gets me 20 ones. She's blond and has "C's". While I'm walking out, the manager and her flunky were hanging red white and blue decorations over their trophy case. Again I'm reminded how much I don't like US Bank. I walk past the ATM. The two ladies were gone and out of order sign is up.
I drive to Seventh and Central in Times Square. I buy a yellow set of Slinky Ernie Ball guitar strings. The music store is very nice. Everything is in immaculate order, like a jewelry store. I walk a couple blocks up passing the City Bar to the competing music store. I think about buying a couple picks just to scope it out. Do you know how may times I've been ripped off by the little guy music stores? It's some kind of creed that they take the guitar player's money because a guitar player has a dream. This other store is up stairs of a recording studio building. I don't even look. I turn around, go back to Ruthy my truck and leave. I park at the Motel and cut across the car wash to the Montana State Liquor store. I buy a bottle of Scoresby Scotch. I'm hoping nobody else doesn't like Scotch too .
Then I start setting up at the Fairgrounds. I call Ken so he'll be around later. I get a rag and some cleaner and, clean off the pigeon sh*t on the counter. I super glue and duck tape the head on camera back together. Since Ken took the system apart and Dave put it together initially, it takes me awhile to figure out what's what from the set up in Shelby. It's really quite simple. Three cameras cascade through the three sets of switches and then into the pan head-on and backside decks. These are monitored by a split to the steward and my deck TV. These decks all go back to the switches for replay. The one switch goes to the master deck that cascades to the two dub decks. The second switch goes to the ch 13 modulator and feeds the house line. The third switch in the series goes to the character generator and back to #10 switch for words. Audio mixer goes into audio input on the master deck. Sam simple, huh? My biggest problems have been the decks being not in the right mode or dust f**king them up. Who knows how many hours...
Page 41
I have a day to get ready for the races. I dream about an old house. The video system is easy enough to set up.
Ken hasn't brought by the tape decks yet. I go get a cooked breakfast at JD's restaurant. I have a meat lovers omelet. I call Ken. He says the two TV's I left by his door weren't there when he got there. He'll be around later. I call Megan to say,"Hey." I go to Version and get an attachment to connect to the internet with my cell phone. It costs $65. I go back to Fairgrounds. I check in the motel and install the software on my computer. The modem on phone is 14k slow, but it works. I break down the gear and go to the room. The maid isn't finished but it's good enough. Nice crap without bunghole. Man, that Ken is lazy. It just may start raining.
DREAM: Old abandoned houses. I go in the wrong one. No paint, just weathered wood. I realize I'm in wrong house when I step through the rotting floor. The front porch is just as bad of shape. The porch railing has rounded small pole "pickets" and some of them are missing. A group of people are gathered outside, standing around as if a party. A couple of the men are cops. They don't know someone gave me a wire sieve full of Buds.
First thing I do is go to the bank. There are two old ladies at the cash machine. They says I'll have to wait 20 minutes because it's out of money. I think these nice old ladies have to be pulling a scam. I tell them I'll go inside and get them some help. I get in line. I'm reminded how much I don't like US Bank. Mallissa the teller gets me 20 ones. She's blond and has "C's". While I'm walking out, the manager and her flunky were hanging red white and blue decorations over their trophy case. Again I'm reminded how much I don't like US Bank. I walk past the ATM. The two ladies were gone and out of order sign is up.
I drive to Seventh and Central in Times Square. I buy a yellow set of Slinky Ernie Ball guitar strings. The music store is very nice. Everything is in immaculate order, like a jewelry store. I walk a couple blocks up passing the City Bar to the competing music store. I think about buying a couple picks just to scope it out. Do you know how may times I've been ripped off by the little guy music stores? It's some kind of creed that they take the guitar player's money because a guitar player has a dream. This other store is up stairs of a recording studio building. I don't even look. I turn around, go back to Ruthy my truck and leave. I park at the Motel and cut across the car wash to the Montana State Liquor store. I buy a bottle of Scoresby Scotch. I'm hoping nobody else doesn't like Scotch too .
Then I start setting up at the Fairgrounds. I call Ken so he'll be around later. I get a rag and some cleaner and, clean off the pigeon sh*t on the counter. I super glue and duck tape the head on camera back together. Since Ken took the system apart and Dave put it together initially, it takes me awhile to figure out what's what from the set up in Shelby. It's really quite simple. Three cameras cascade through the three sets of switches and then into the pan head-on and backside decks. These are monitored by a split to the steward and my deck TV. These decks all go back to the switches for replay. The one switch goes to the master deck that cascades to the two dub decks. The second switch goes to the ch 13 modulator and feeds the house line. The third switch in the series goes to the character generator and back to #10 switch for words. Audio mixer goes into audio input on the master deck. Sam simple, huh? My biggest problems have been the decks being not in the right mode or dust f**king them up. Who knows how many hours...
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Girl and the Old Man
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Girl and the Old Man
Page 42
I little time off in my hotel room turns into a dream.
Ken shows up. Steve calls about the timer and the tote board. Ken and I go to Paulson's Hardware store. Ken buys bolts for the tote mirror. I buy a shovel for the woods. We go to Sam's Outlet. I spend $10 for 4 rolls of duct tape. Ken buys GaterAid at 57 cents each. We go back to the track. Patrick shows up. He sets up the darkroom. I "finish up" the camera production room. They leave. I keep setting up until I can't take it any more, about 8:30pm. I keep getting locked in (this time we false lock the lock and chain) and have to climb over the main gate. I get back to the room for 3 microwave burritos, two boiler makers, and the "Billy the Kid" movie on HBO. I set up my computer and arranged my phone book on the cellphone. It's 7:50am. No rain...
9:02am 7/26/3.
DREAM: Andy and I are driving around. I need something from the store. Andy waits in the truck. I go inside a large bulk "CostCo" store. There is a nice furniture for sale. There's a mall with a sidewalk that's raised, stairs, water falls, man made streams, cut shrubs. People shopping are walking along the way. I get stopped at a check point by two security tellers. The one guy asks for my shopping card. I pull out my licenses from around my neck. While they look at it, I explain I'm with my friend who's outside waiting for me in my truck. They go, "okay." I keep walking around. I notice that there are these check point all over. I'm in the bed area. This lady comes out yelling at me for selling her girl a $500 van. I go out to the truck where Andy's waiting for me. We take off through a dirty city part of town. We go to the girls house. I want to see the van. The lady comes out to yell at me to stay away from her daughter. The girls maybe 17, blond, slight round face. The girl comes out with a bent over old timer who has a long gray beard. She doesn't say anything, but her expression on her face says she wants to say something. The girl and the old man leave holding hands. Her little brother is laughing and making fun at me. We go look at the van. It's dark metallic green. Andy's looking it over. No windows. The entire passenger side had scrapes from something white. It's slightly dented in. The white paint has a ruff rough wall paint texture.
Page 42
I little time off in my hotel room turns into a dream.
Ken shows up. Steve calls about the timer and the tote board. Ken and I go to Paulson's Hardware store. Ken buys bolts for the tote mirror. I buy a shovel for the woods. We go to Sam's Outlet. I spend $10 for 4 rolls of duct tape. Ken buys GaterAid at 57 cents each. We go back to the track. Patrick shows up. He sets up the darkroom. I "finish up" the camera production room. They leave. I keep setting up until I can't take it any more, about 8:30pm. I keep getting locked in (this time we false lock the lock and chain) and have to climb over the main gate. I get back to the room for 3 microwave burritos, two boiler makers, and the "Billy the Kid" movie on HBO. I set up my computer and arranged my phone book on the cellphone. It's 7:50am. No rain...
9:02am 7/26/3.
DREAM: Andy and I are driving around. I need something from the store. Andy waits in the truck. I go inside a large bulk "CostCo" store. There is a nice furniture for sale. There's a mall with a sidewalk that's raised, stairs, water falls, man made streams, cut shrubs. People shopping are walking along the way. I get stopped at a check point by two security tellers. The one guy asks for my shopping card. I pull out my licenses from around my neck. While they look at it, I explain I'm with my friend who's outside waiting for me in my truck. They go, "okay." I keep walking around. I notice that there are these check point all over. I'm in the bed area. This lady comes out yelling at me for selling her girl a $500 van. I go out to the truck where Andy's waiting for me. We take off through a dirty city part of town. We go to the girls house. I want to see the van. The lady comes out to yell at me to stay away from her daughter. The girls maybe 17, blond, slight round face. The girl comes out with a bent over old timer who has a long gray beard. She doesn't say anything, but her expression on her face says she wants to say something. The girl and the old man leave holding hands. Her little brother is laughing and making fun at me. We go look at the van. It's dark metallic green. Andy's looking it over. No windows. The entire passenger side had scrapes from something white. It's slightly dented in. The white paint has a ruff rough wall paint texture.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: an "L" Shaped Puddle
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: an "L" Shaped Puddle
Page 48
A couple of dreams from my two days off, one of the days being my birthday.
Pg 48, 5:50am 7/27/3.
DREAM: I'm in a hole. Bono and his girlfriend are talking to me from over the edge. There's another worker digging in the hole with me. I start to climb out, kneeling on a thin ridge along the top of the hole. I start falling back, so I lean my head forward to the counter my weight. The gravity pulls me forward. I'm inside a house. Bono is talking to me the whole time. I'm outside the house on 86th and Yamhill. I walk across the sidewalk from the car. I walk up the stairs and enter the house. There's a pungent smell of a brass instrument case. Christina is sitting on the floor by the door, cross legs, watching. I notice her ass. The cat is sitting by the rug's corner. There is a watery vomit from the cat in front of the cat going one way and then the other forming an "L" shape puddle. I say, "The cat is throwing up."
Pg 49. 6:57am 7/28/3.
DREAM: I'm at a shopping mall with Eric. We are walking out to the car. I'm there first and catch two kids breaking into the car. They go, "Let's get out of here." They leave behind pliers and tools on the floor where part of the window is gone. Eric says, "There goes the cash money." All I can find is that the windshield wipers are gone. I walk off looking for the kids thinking, "There must be money in golf cart windshield wipers." While I'm walking through the parking lot, I see Eric's forgotten I'm along as he's driving off. I'm in Los Angeles. Thousands of people are going on their way. I start walking to Eric's, but it's a long way. I get on the train. I know it's going the right way, but I don't know where I'm going or where to get off. I walk to the front of the train and ask the conductor if this train gets to Santa Monica. Then I realize I'm sitting next to a passenger. He's a black man with warts all over his face. His accent is so thick I can hardly understand his directions. Then his buddy comes up on my other side, agreeing that he's a friend. I feel uncomfortable and get up. I walk farther forward on the train. I accidentally walk off the train at a stop. I turn around and a tall thin black woman in a long mole hair coat holds the door for me to get back on. I look down to find my cell phone. No recent calls to Eric and his number isn't in the phone book.
Page 48
A couple of dreams from my two days off, one of the days being my birthday.
Pg 48, 5:50am 7/27/3.
DREAM: I'm in a hole. Bono and his girlfriend are talking to me from over the edge. There's another worker digging in the hole with me. I start to climb out, kneeling on a thin ridge along the top of the hole. I start falling back, so I lean my head forward to the counter my weight. The gravity pulls me forward. I'm inside a house. Bono is talking to me the whole time. I'm outside the house on 86th and Yamhill. I walk across the sidewalk from the car. I walk up the stairs and enter the house. There's a pungent smell of a brass instrument case. Christina is sitting on the floor by the door, cross legs, watching. I notice her ass. The cat is sitting by the rug's corner. There is a watery vomit from the cat in front of the cat going one way and then the other forming an "L" shape puddle. I say, "The cat is throwing up."
Pg 49. 6:57am 7/28/3.
DREAM: I'm at a shopping mall with Eric. We are walking out to the car. I'm there first and catch two kids breaking into the car. They go, "Let's get out of here." They leave behind pliers and tools on the floor where part of the window is gone. Eric says, "There goes the cash money." All I can find is that the windshield wipers are gone. I walk off looking for the kids thinking, "There must be money in golf cart windshield wipers." While I'm walking through the parking lot, I see Eric's forgotten I'm along as he's driving off. I'm in Los Angeles. Thousands of people are going on their way. I start walking to Eric's, but it's a long way. I get on the train. I know it's going the right way, but I don't know where I'm going or where to get off. I walk to the front of the train and ask the conductor if this train gets to Santa Monica. Then I realize I'm sitting next to a passenger. He's a black man with warts all over his face. His accent is so thick I can hardly understand his directions. Then his buddy comes up on my other side, agreeing that he's a friend. I feel uncomfortable and get up. I walk farther forward on the train. I accidentally walk off the train at a stop. I turn around and a tall thin black woman in a long mole hair coat holds the door for me to get back on. I look down to find my cell phone. No recent calls to Eric and his number isn't in the phone book.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Camera from the Black Tower
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: The Camera from the Black Tower
Page 50
An excellent racing day with a little trouble on the back side.
1:46pm MT, 7/28/3, The coin-op clothes wash by the motel.
Saturday and Sunday go well, at least for me. Saturday, I keep loosing the head-on signal. Some things only will be bad if you want them to be. Usually things work out to be fine. Ken gets 6 programs from the program lady. I also get six programs. I give Ken the 4 extra programs and kept two for Patrick and myself. When Brian shows up he's without one and I give him mine. So, I end up with out one after starting the video department out with twelve programs. I have Brian wrap duct tape around his camera's output cable because when he's going around the bend his camera goes from a black and white to a color picture. This works for a couple races until Rawley comes in and says we lost the head-on camera again. I put a hum buckler on Brian's line. This completely fixes the problem. According to the Judges, a bad head-on picture isn't an uncommon occurrence. Next, Ashely's signal in the back tower starts fading in and out, mostly out. I try her on the radio. I'm on the wrong channel. I'm thinking she doesn't have one. I get one for her by running to the mainline and getting one from Ken. I run back up to the roof for the race. I don't have any way to get the radio out to the tower. I ask Patrick if he can get one of the runners to take it out there. He says has hiss buddy on the second floor of the back tower with Ashley, watching the races. He call him on his cell phone. We get Ashley on the right channel and clear up the signal. The rest of the races go well, so I think anyway. About the ninth race, Rawley comes in and asks for Ashley's name. I only know her first name. That's good enough though because he's filling out a hearing form for Ashely. I don't hear why or what happened until the next day. I'm guessing it has to do with Patrick's friend sitting in the back tower. During the beginning of the last race, Ken is telling me that he will have the Deputy Sheriff come over there if Ashley doesn't settle down. I'm hoping Ken quiets down so Ashley doesn't quit before the race is over. We finish up.
Page 50
An excellent racing day with a little trouble on the back side.
1:46pm MT, 7/28/3, The coin-op clothes wash by the motel.
Saturday and Sunday go well, at least for me. Saturday, I keep loosing the head-on signal. Some things only will be bad if you want them to be. Usually things work out to be fine. Ken gets 6 programs from the program lady. I also get six programs. I give Ken the 4 extra programs and kept two for Patrick and myself. When Brian shows up he's without one and I give him mine. So, I end up with out one after starting the video department out with twelve programs. I have Brian wrap duct tape around his camera's output cable because when he's going around the bend his camera goes from a black and white to a color picture. This works for a couple races until Rawley comes in and says we lost the head-on camera again. I put a hum buckler on Brian's line. This completely fixes the problem. According to the Judges, a bad head-on picture isn't an uncommon occurrence. Next, Ashely's signal in the back tower starts fading in and out, mostly out. I try her on the radio. I'm on the wrong channel. I'm thinking she doesn't have one. I get one for her by running to the mainline and getting one from Ken. I run back up to the roof for the race. I don't have any way to get the radio out to the tower. I ask Patrick if he can get one of the runners to take it out there. He says has hiss buddy on the second floor of the back tower with Ashley, watching the races. He call him on his cell phone. We get Ashley on the right channel and clear up the signal. The rest of the races go well, so I think anyway. About the ninth race, Rawley comes in and asks for Ashley's name. I only know her first name. That's good enough though because he's filling out a hearing form for Ashely. I don't hear why or what happened until the next day. I'm guessing it has to do with Patrick's friend sitting in the back tower. During the beginning of the last race, Ken is telling me that he will have the Deputy Sheriff come over there if Ashley doesn't settle down. I'm hoping Ken quiets down so Ashley doesn't quit before the race is over. We finish up.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Clattering Up the Hill
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Clattering Up the Hill
Page 52
I deliver the race tapes around town. A lightning storm blows over the fairgrounds. My pick ups begins to break down.
I take a race tape to the Half Time Sports Bar. I resent doing this because its just a favor for Bill; a free $28 tape, personal delivery, no payment or complimentary beer, nothing. Ken tells me the next day that we'll bill them. I feel better about it. Then, I take a copy of the race tape to the City Bar and Casino. I use one of my drink cards for a Fat Tire pint. Now, that is worth it. Then I go to Albertsons. I get a six pack of PBRs in bottles and five $1 TV dinners. I also get cottage cheese and a bottle of orange juice. I immediately chugged the orange juice. While I am drinking a beer, I open the door to watch the rain which begins to pour down in bucket loads again. There is thunder and lightning. I start counting how long it was between the flash and the bang. It gets closer and closer until one goes off right over my head. My first thought is it hit the Grand Stand or one of the rides. So, I put on my boots and go over to the Fairgrounds to unplug the equipment and take a picture if there's any damage. No lightning strike, just a bunch of wet people. I talk to the hat man awhile. Then go back to the motel. I fall asleep and sleep in a little bit late. I go back the next day. I get in at about 12 noon. I finish the steward's tape. Patrick comes in to open the photo finish room. He says he's five minutes away from quitting. He says Brian had punched the guy in the arm during the hearing. He says he'd also gotten in the guys face. I put on the reruns and then drive to the back tower to put the transmitter antenna up where it was sitting the day before. It doesn't help. Judah shows up, meaning Ashley won't be working today. Ken comes in and tells me Patrick quit so Ken will have to be the photo finish. He says we'll get fined "only" $200 a race if we have no finish photo. This is "only" more bull sh*t. Anyone can take pictures. We run the first race. Bill comes up after the second race. Next thing you know, there's a lady photographer for the rest of the meet.
6:56pm, Mountain Time; Milepost 256, Cascadia.
Ruthy, my truck, overheats leaving Great Falls. By the time I get to the Air Force base, she is clattering up the hill. I stop at Conoco and add 5 gallons water (oops). I change the oil and change the oil filter. I put 10w-30 oil in thinking that is 30w. I fire her up and drive back to Great Falls. I go for it. I get to mile post 260. She over heats and loses power. She's topping out at 35mph all the way to the exit. The thermostat is bad. I wait for Triple AAA to tow Ruthy back to Helena. I tade out the thermostat and run her without one to get her going again. Everything gets way too hot to touch. The outdoor temperature gets over 95`. The truck parts will be available in Helena. I call Steve to say I can't be there today. It is 7:00pm.
Page 52
I deliver the race tapes around town. A lightning storm blows over the fairgrounds. My pick ups begins to break down.
I take a race tape to the Half Time Sports Bar. I resent doing this because its just a favor for Bill; a free $28 tape, personal delivery, no payment or complimentary beer, nothing. Ken tells me the next day that we'll bill them. I feel better about it. Then, I take a copy of the race tape to the City Bar and Casino. I use one of my drink cards for a Fat Tire pint. Now, that is worth it. Then I go to Albertsons. I get a six pack of PBRs in bottles and five $1 TV dinners. I also get cottage cheese and a bottle of orange juice. I immediately chugged the orange juice. While I am drinking a beer, I open the door to watch the rain which begins to pour down in bucket loads again. There is thunder and lightning. I start counting how long it was between the flash and the bang. It gets closer and closer until one goes off right over my head. My first thought is it hit the Grand Stand or one of the rides. So, I put on my boots and go over to the Fairgrounds to unplug the equipment and take a picture if there's any damage. No lightning strike, just a bunch of wet people. I talk to the hat man awhile. Then go back to the motel. I fall asleep and sleep in a little bit late. I go back the next day. I get in at about 12 noon. I finish the steward's tape. Patrick comes in to open the photo finish room. He says he's five minutes away from quitting. He says Brian had punched the guy in the arm during the hearing. He says he'd also gotten in the guys face. I put on the reruns and then drive to the back tower to put the transmitter antenna up where it was sitting the day before. It doesn't help. Judah shows up, meaning Ashley won't be working today. Ken comes in and tells me Patrick quit so Ken will have to be the photo finish. He says we'll get fined "only" $200 a race if we have no finish photo. This is "only" more bull sh*t. Anyone can take pictures. We run the first race. Bill comes up after the second race. Next thing you know, there's a lady photographer for the rest of the meet.
6:56pm, Mountain Time; Milepost 256, Cascadia.
Ruthy, my truck, overheats leaving Great Falls. By the time I get to the Air Force base, she is clattering up the hill. I stop at Conoco and add 5 gallons water (oops). I change the oil and change the oil filter. I put 10w-30 oil in thinking that is 30w. I fire her up and drive back to Great Falls. I go for it. I get to mile post 260. She over heats and loses power. She's topping out at 35mph all the way to the exit. The thermostat is bad. I wait for Triple AAA to tow Ruthy back to Helena. I tade out the thermostat and run her without one to get her going again. Everything gets way too hot to touch. The outdoor temperature gets over 95`. The truck parts will be available in Helena. I call Steve to say I can't be there today. It is 7:00pm.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Let Her Roll
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Let Her Roll
Page 54
The crew flakes out on loading out the gear. I hear what happened on the back tower with Ashley. My pickup starts dieing on the way out of Helena.
Everything else goes okay. After the race, Ken can't help because he has come down with heat stroke. That leaves me myself to tear down the equipment and store it in the TV office for the truck in the morning. What a bitch. It takes until 12am before I run out of steam. Lock up and go back to Central Motel and sleep good until 7:30am. I go back to pack and to tear down the cameras in the towers. Getting the back tower, I talk with Mr. Coombs about going up the tower because he has his horses on the walker near the ladder. He says that Ashley and her friend were spooking his horses so he told her to slow down coming down the ladder. She goes, "F**k you." He says they don't talk to each other like that and he sprays her with a hose. She goes, "F**k you" again and he squirts her real good with the water hose. I get the camera and transmitter and go to the head-on tower. I get that camera and pack it up. I box up the rest of the gear. This is already 9:30pm so I go to the motel to get my things. The trucking company calls asking directions. Larry is worrying that he can't get his semi onto the mainline. I remind him he said 9am. He agrees to be there at 10:30am because the contract says 9am to 11am. He shows up in the main parking lot. We pack in his truck the 40 pieces of video equipment. It gets shipped off to Missoula. I have to charge my phone which is on one click. I fall asleep in my chair on the roofs production room for about an hour. I go to the coin-op and wash 3 loads of clothes. I go next door to the coin-op car. I tie down my load with 25 feet of rope and the blue tarp. I give Ruthy a wash and pressure wash the bugs out of the radiator. I fill up at the Conoco. I call Megan to let someone know where I'll be. Ruthy loses power getting on Interstate 15 going south up the hill. I stop at the Conoco across from the Air Force Base.
Page 54
The crew flakes out on loading out the gear. I hear what happened on the back tower with Ashley. My pickup starts dieing on the way out of Helena.
Everything else goes okay. After the race, Ken can't help because he has come down with heat stroke. That leaves me myself to tear down the equipment and store it in the TV office for the truck in the morning. What a bitch. It takes until 12am before I run out of steam. Lock up and go back to Central Motel and sleep good until 7:30am. I go back to pack and to tear down the cameras in the towers. Getting the back tower, I talk with Mr. Coombs about going up the tower because he has his horses on the walker near the ladder. He says that Ashley and her friend were spooking his horses so he told her to slow down coming down the ladder. She goes, "F**k you." He says they don't talk to each other like that and he sprays her with a hose. She goes, "F**k you" again and he squirts her real good with the water hose. I get the camera and transmitter and go to the head-on tower. I get that camera and pack it up. I box up the rest of the gear. This is already 9:30pm so I go to the motel to get my things. The trucking company calls asking directions. Larry is worrying that he can't get his semi onto the mainline. I remind him he said 9am. He agrees to be there at 10:30am because the contract says 9am to 11am. He shows up in the main parking lot. We pack in his truck the 40 pieces of video equipment. It gets shipped off to Missoula. I have to charge my phone which is on one click. I fall asleep in my chair on the roofs production room for about an hour. I go to the coin-op and wash 3 loads of clothes. I go next door to the coin-op car. I tie down my load with 25 feet of rope and the blue tarp. I give Ruthy a wash and pressure wash the bugs out of the radiator. I fill up at the Conoco. I call Megan to let someone know where I'll be. Ruthy loses power getting on Interstate 15 going south up the hill. I stop at the Conoco across from the Air Force Base.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Little White Crosses
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Little White Crosses
Page 56
My pick dies and I end up back in Helena, Montana.
7PM, Room #107 Helena Inn, Helena, Montana,
It's 90`+ outside. I get a tow to Helena through AAA on back of a tow truck. The driver immediately gives me a diet Pepsi which I sip the entire 1 hour ride. He talks about the NASA shuttle accident, working on jets, Montana politicians making tons of money, living in Arizona, Mexicans he dislikes and on and on. He says the little white crosses along side the road were where people have died in car wrecks. He says the American Legion may keep a log of the names. He gets plenty of first hand looks at the wrecks, being a tow truck driver. We unhook my truck at a Sinclair gas station. He takes off. I fill my radiator with water from the hose. I had pulled out the thermostat just before the tow truck picked me up. You know, like a bad tooth; "if it don't work, pull it." Bad idea! I don't get off the lot before I overheat. I get lost only once and I make it to Motel 6. Checking in, the dude is sympathetic to my car troubles. He give me the "handy cap" room on the ground floor; no tub, lots of floor space, no microwave, ten channels of TV and HBO. Megan encourages me over the phone to get rested up and get breakfast in the morning. I shower and fall asleep watching a current action movie about a cop in the future. I sleep like a rock until 5:30pm. Tonight's special; 2 two boiler makers, a beer plus one can 'o chili. I wake up to watch a show on HBO about 2 virgin lesbian Jews. I watch it until last part. It makes me wonder why they'd waist the extra film if the girls had sex about 1/2 way through the movie. I get up and going by 7am. I call Checker auto parts @ 7:30am. Dude says they open at 8am. I figure out where and how to get there with the phone book map. (Yeah, I went to "Kollege," cutting the pages out with my McGyver knife.) I work out the Scottish tune "Cooper at Night" into a "Computer at Night" song. I walk off to Checkers in a clean "KPAM" radio tee-shirt and the same damn dirty jeans I've worn for 2 (two) days. I should have brought my hat! I walk around aimlessly, not knowing where I was going. "Check out time is 12 noon," a plus.
Page 56
My pick dies and I end up back in Helena, Montana.
7PM, Room #107 Helena Inn, Helena, Montana,
It's 90`+ outside. I get a tow to Helena through AAA on back of a tow truck. The driver immediately gives me a diet Pepsi which I sip the entire 1 hour ride. He talks about the NASA shuttle accident, working on jets, Montana politicians making tons of money, living in Arizona, Mexicans he dislikes and on and on. He says the little white crosses along side the road were where people have died in car wrecks. He says the American Legion may keep a log of the names. He gets plenty of first hand looks at the wrecks, being a tow truck driver. We unhook my truck at a Sinclair gas station. He takes off. I fill my radiator with water from the hose. I had pulled out the thermostat just before the tow truck picked me up. You know, like a bad tooth; "if it don't work, pull it." Bad idea! I don't get off the lot before I overheat. I get lost only once and I make it to Motel 6. Checking in, the dude is sympathetic to my car troubles. He give me the "handy cap" room on the ground floor; no tub, lots of floor space, no microwave, ten channels of TV and HBO. Megan encourages me over the phone to get rested up and get breakfast in the morning. I shower and fall asleep watching a current action movie about a cop in the future. I sleep like a rock until 5:30pm. Tonight's special; 2 two boiler makers, a beer plus one can 'o chili. I wake up to watch a show on HBO about 2 virgin lesbian Jews. I watch it until last part. It makes me wonder why they'd waist the extra film if the girls had sex about 1/2 way through the movie. I get up and going by 7am. I call Checker auto parts @ 7:30am. Dude says they open at 8am. I figure out where and how to get there with the phone book map. (Yeah, I went to "Kollege," cutting the pages out with my McGyver knife.) I work out the Scottish tune "Cooper at Night" into a "Computer at Night" song. I walk off to Checkers in a clean "KPAM" radio tee-shirt and the same damn dirty jeans I've worn for 2 (two) days. I should have brought my hat! I walk around aimlessly, not knowing where I was going. "Check out time is 12 noon," a plus.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Loosing Ruthy
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Loosing Ruthy
Page 58
My pickup breaks down. I put forward my best effort in repairing the thermostat and water pump. I end up in a dream about Grants Pass, Oregon.
Last Chance Gulch, Montana, 7:42am.
I walk to checkers. I buy a thermostat for my truck. I ask about a solenoid. It would take a day to get here If I order before 4pm. I get some "orange" hand cleaner and a distributor cap. I walk to JB's Restaurant for a "Meat Lovers Special" and coffee with cream and sugar. The waitress keeps going around saying, "If I'm not at work tomorrow, I'm in jail because I down loaded a song off the internet last night," over and over. Could the only gold left in Montana be what someone will say? I walk back to the Motel 6. I'm heat struck by 10am and 91`. I put on my flight jacket and sit in the air conditioned room to recover. I replace the thermostat. I fill the radiator with water from the room's ice bucket. I check out by 11am. I test drive almost to Fort Harrison and over heat. I refill radiator. I drive 4 blocks and park under a tree. Man, I must of screwed up with Ruthy somewhere along the line. You can sure feel the Air Force here. I go back down the hill to Checkers. I buy a water pump and some radiator leak fix. I walk to Conoco with bucket. They don't have any water. I ask permission to work on my truck in the back parking lot and then replace water pump. I haven't changed a water pump for 2 years. Finish up installing the pump. Then I return the stop leak for a super stop leak and #10 mm wrench. I can order a fuel filter, but that will be for tomorrow and by 4pm. I test drive my truck to Fort Harrison. Then, I go to Last Chance Gulch.
Page 59.
DREAM: I am at Adams place. There are people who have stopped by. We're outside having a picnic. Lots of food I've provided. The place is on a hill surrounded by forest. There are two large towers with cable to travel above the valley. The neighbors walk up the hill to visit. I'm leaving in my truck. The neighbors are leaving in theirs. They have their little blond boy outside of the truck. He's climbing into the back of their truck. I'm back at Adams place on the hill. We are walking down the hill where I notice a building; white outside, with stairs going into the basement. I start going down them and then ask Adam what is this. "It's for the AAA meetings," he says. I go, "Lets go get high in there." First half of the room has a circle of seven chairs on a nice carpet. Two of the chairs are nicer than the rest. There are books and papers. Some of these are on some of the chairs. In the back half of the room are benches. There are bright pastel papers cut out in different shapes; circles, triangles, squares, strips...
Page 58
My pickup breaks down. I put forward my best effort in repairing the thermostat and water pump. I end up in a dream about Grants Pass, Oregon.
Last Chance Gulch, Montana, 7:42am.
I walk to checkers. I buy a thermostat for my truck. I ask about a solenoid. It would take a day to get here If I order before 4pm. I get some "orange" hand cleaner and a distributor cap. I walk to JB's Restaurant for a "Meat Lovers Special" and coffee with cream and sugar. The waitress keeps going around saying, "If I'm not at work tomorrow, I'm in jail because I down loaded a song off the internet last night," over and over. Could the only gold left in Montana be what someone will say? I walk back to the Motel 6. I'm heat struck by 10am and 91`. I put on my flight jacket and sit in the air conditioned room to recover. I replace the thermostat. I fill the radiator with water from the room's ice bucket. I check out by 11am. I test drive almost to Fort Harrison and over heat. I refill radiator. I drive 4 blocks and park under a tree. Man, I must of screwed up with Ruthy somewhere along the line. You can sure feel the Air Force here. I go back down the hill to Checkers. I buy a water pump and some radiator leak fix. I walk to Conoco with bucket. They don't have any water. I ask permission to work on my truck in the back parking lot and then replace water pump. I haven't changed a water pump for 2 years. Finish up installing the pump. Then I return the stop leak for a super stop leak and #10 mm wrench. I can order a fuel filter, but that will be for tomorrow and by 4pm. I test drive my truck to Fort Harrison. Then, I go to Last Chance Gulch.
Page 59.
DREAM: I am at Adams place. There are people who have stopped by. We're outside having a picnic. Lots of food I've provided. The place is on a hill surrounded by forest. There are two large towers with cable to travel above the valley. The neighbors walk up the hill to visit. I'm leaving in my truck. The neighbors are leaving in theirs. They have their little blond boy outside of the truck. He's climbing into the back of their truck. I'm back at Adams place on the hill. We are walking down the hill where I notice a building; white outside, with stairs going into the basement. I start going down them and then ask Adam what is this. "It's for the AAA meetings," he says. I go, "Lets go get high in there." First half of the room has a circle of seven chairs on a nice carpet. Two of the chairs are nicer than the rest. There are books and papers. Some of these are on some of the chairs. In the back half of the room are benches. There are bright pastel papers cut out in different shapes; circles, triangles, squares, strips...
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Last Chance Gulch
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Last Chance Gulch
Page 60
I spend a couple days in Last Chance Gulch when my pickup breaks down. The town has a unique history of the gold mining days.
PG 60. 8:02 am, Helena, Montana.
I get to Last Chance Gulch and my truck starts overheating right before Hwy 12, West. I notice I'm directly in front of the radiator shop on Last Chance Gulch so I coast into the parking lot. The top hose isn't even hot. All the water's leaked out. I go in the shop. I had called that morning and the guy, Torry, tells me he can't get me in until next Thursday. So, I tell him my story about the thermostat, the water pump and the stop leak. He says if I take it to the Firestone tire place, they can pull the radiator out and that would speed things up to tomorrow, and then he can get to it. So I ask if I can pull it out in the lot out front. He says, "Okay." I unbolted the radiator, cut off one of the hose clamps and pop it out in 15 minutes. By now it's 4:40pm, and they close by 5:30pm. Torry's gonna try to get it before the day's over. I call Megan with the word. She's admittedly sounding bored. She suggests I get a beer at a saloon while I'm in Helena. I walk up the Last Chance Gulch to check it out. Steve answers his phone. He says the equipment will be in the parimutuel's office when I get there. He also has 4 more days of work in Kalispel for the meet. He says he didn't want to, but he'll drive out to Missoula since Patrick quit. I may be able to find a camera person before next Tuesday(?). I walk all the way up Last Chance Gulch. There are many references to the gold mining days. There is a concrete stream where the original stream went through town. I sit on a bench at the end of the street by the library. I start getting tired. It's getting close to 5pm. I walk back to the radiator shop to be there at 5pm, closing time. Torry, at the radiator shop, calls about not being able to weld it back together because the radiator is rotting away. He shows me the radiator suspended in air. The metal cooling fins are falling apart. He gets on the phone and ordersa new one from Seattle for $250, plus a $50 overnight shipping. He lights up a Marboro. We talk about the video tour a little. He offers to park my truck and all the equipment in one of the bays. I go up a block and get a room and the hotel. I run back to the radiator shop and grab the red writing box, my green clothes box, and honey guitar. I lug it all back to my room after giving the truck key to Torry. He says he'll drive it in to the bay without a radiator. I think that's unique. The minute I get to my room, I fall asleep. I wake up about 8:30pm and take a hot shower.
Page 60
I spend a couple days in Last Chance Gulch when my pickup breaks down. The town has a unique history of the gold mining days.
PG 60. 8:02 am, Helena, Montana.
I get to Last Chance Gulch and my truck starts overheating right before Hwy 12, West. I notice I'm directly in front of the radiator shop on Last Chance Gulch so I coast into the parking lot. The top hose isn't even hot. All the water's leaked out. I go in the shop. I had called that morning and the guy, Torry, tells me he can't get me in until next Thursday. So, I tell him my story about the thermostat, the water pump and the stop leak. He says if I take it to the Firestone tire place, they can pull the radiator out and that would speed things up to tomorrow, and then he can get to it. So I ask if I can pull it out in the lot out front. He says, "Okay." I unbolted the radiator, cut off one of the hose clamps and pop it out in 15 minutes. By now it's 4:40pm, and they close by 5:30pm. Torry's gonna try to get it before the day's over. I call Megan with the word. She's admittedly sounding bored. She suggests I get a beer at a saloon while I'm in Helena. I walk up the Last Chance Gulch to check it out. Steve answers his phone. He says the equipment will be in the parimutuel's office when I get there. He also has 4 more days of work in Kalispel for the meet. He says he didn't want to, but he'll drive out to Missoula since Patrick quit. I may be able to find a camera person before next Tuesday(?). I walk all the way up Last Chance Gulch. There are many references to the gold mining days. There is a concrete stream where the original stream went through town. I sit on a bench at the end of the street by the library. I start getting tired. It's getting close to 5pm. I walk back to the radiator shop to be there at 5pm, closing time. Torry, at the radiator shop, calls about not being able to weld it back together because the radiator is rotting away. He shows me the radiator suspended in air. The metal cooling fins are falling apart. He gets on the phone and ordersa new one from Seattle for $250, plus a $50 overnight shipping. He lights up a Marboro. We talk about the video tour a little. He offers to park my truck and all the equipment in one of the bays. I go up a block and get a room and the hotel. I run back to the radiator shop and grab the red writing box, my green clothes box, and honey guitar. I lug it all back to my room after giving the truck key to Torry. He says he'll drive it in to the bay without a radiator. I think that's unique. The minute I get to my room, I fall asleep. I wake up about 8:30pm and take a hot shower.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Bank Robs Outlaw
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Bank Robs Outlaw
Page 62
I explore Last Chance Gulch and the saloon. I check-in back in Portland. I get an F-150.
About 9:30PM, I go back back up Last Chance Gulch. It's cooled down from the hot day, making a very comfortable evening. There are kids in various areas along the Last Chance Gulch way hanging out in the park areas. I come across an old log cabin from 1857. The dude lives there by his self until a brother and family move in too. Something, something and something else happens until the person living there moves out because of the music coming from a dance hall (There must be a song in this story).
I go back down the Gulch. I stop at a saloon that looks empty. No one around. And it's named Rialto's like the one in Portland. So I go in for that beer. The front bar lead to the back where the people. "One pint of Pabst please," I say. Bars are so be belittling. You stand there drinking and smoking, looking at yourself in a mirror behind rows of booze bottles. It puts me out of place. I walk back to the hotel. I see Domino's a block away. I get a take out order of the special; green olive topping. I go back to the room. I carry the box side ways up so all the topping spill over to one side, yum. I called Ben back in Portland to said "HI." I talk to Ali for a minute. I fall asleep about midnight. The next morning I wait around until 10am for a radiator. Megan calls about being bored at work and quiting. I let her know she'll do well finding another job if she wants too.
10:25am Jiffy Lube, Missoula Montana.
If I every been stuck anywhere, Helena is a good example. I get up at 8am or so. I pack up, ready to go. I wait until 10am and then go to radiator shop. Torry has my radiator ready to go. I've never seen a new one. I buy a clamp to replace the one I had to cut off. I put it on in 20 minutes. I get water from the shop. I settle up with Torry and head out to Fort Harrison, about 10 miles . I over heat, added water, drive back to Last Chance Gulch. Over heat. Add water. I drive past Fort Harrison +5 miles to the prospector store. Over heat. Add water. I start back to the Gulch. Ruthy makes a low moan, over HEATS. I call Megan and decide to get rid of 'Ruthy.' Tough call. I mention to my dad over the phone that there's an F-150 I've had my eye on out side of Good Buddy's Pawn Shop. I gimp over there in Ruthy. I offer Scott $2000 if we put it on a credit card. He doesn't take credit cards. I get on the phone to Triple AAA about Traveler's checks. They don't take credit cards. I go back to Good Buddy's Pawn Shop to tell Scott to hold the truck for me until I went to the bank. I limp over to the US Band on Last Chance Gulch. The manager's assistant suggests calling Bank of America to get the cash availability limit. The total's $1,322.01. The manager gets me a line of credit for $500 on Quicken. The grand total's $2400. I have to limp back to the pawn shop to get their name for the check. It's 100` out. 'Ruthy" freezes up starting. By clicking the key a couple tries, she starts. I drive to Good Buddy's Pawn and get a business card. The motor's really frozen up but starts. I get to the bank. I add the water that I have with me. I get a check from the teller, Sara. "Ruthy" hardly starts, but she starts. I get back to Good Buddy's and buy a 1990 F-150.
Page 62
I explore Last Chance Gulch and the saloon. I check-in back in Portland. I get an F-150.
About 9:30PM, I go back back up Last Chance Gulch. It's cooled down from the hot day, making a very comfortable evening. There are kids in various areas along the Last Chance Gulch way hanging out in the park areas. I come across an old log cabin from 1857. The dude lives there by his self until a brother and family move in too. Something, something and something else happens until the person living there moves out because of the music coming from a dance hall (There must be a song in this story).
I go back down the Gulch. I stop at a saloon that looks empty. No one around. And it's named Rialto's like the one in Portland. So I go in for that beer. The front bar lead to the back where the people. "One pint of Pabst please," I say. Bars are so be belittling. You stand there drinking and smoking, looking at yourself in a mirror behind rows of booze bottles. It puts me out of place. I walk back to the hotel. I see Domino's a block away. I get a take out order of the special; green olive topping. I go back to the room. I carry the box side ways up so all the topping spill over to one side, yum. I called Ben back in Portland to said "HI." I talk to Ali for a minute. I fall asleep about midnight. The next morning I wait around until 10am for a radiator. Megan calls about being bored at work and quiting. I let her know she'll do well finding another job if she wants too.
10:25am Jiffy Lube, Missoula Montana.
If I every been stuck anywhere, Helena is a good example. I get up at 8am or so. I pack up, ready to go. I wait until 10am and then go to radiator shop. Torry has my radiator ready to go. I've never seen a new one. I buy a clamp to replace the one I had to cut off. I put it on in 20 minutes. I get water from the shop. I settle up with Torry and head out to Fort Harrison, about 10 miles . I over heat, added water, drive back to Last Chance Gulch. Over heat. Add water. I drive past Fort Harrison +5 miles to the prospector store. Over heat. Add water. I start back to the Gulch. Ruthy makes a low moan, over HEATS. I call Megan and decide to get rid of 'Ruthy.' Tough call. I mention to my dad over the phone that there's an F-150 I've had my eye on out side of Good Buddy's Pawn Shop. I gimp over there in Ruthy. I offer Scott $2000 if we put it on a credit card. He doesn't take credit cards. I get on the phone to Triple AAA about Traveler's checks. They don't take credit cards. I go back to Good Buddy's Pawn Shop to tell Scott to hold the truck for me until I went to the bank. I limp over to the US Band on Last Chance Gulch. The manager's assistant suggests calling Bank of America to get the cash availability limit. The total's $1,322.01. The manager gets me a line of credit for $500 on Quicken. The grand total's $2400. I have to limp back to the pawn shop to get their name for the check. It's 100` out. 'Ruthy" freezes up starting. By clicking the key a couple tries, she starts. I drive to Good Buddy's Pawn and get a business card. The motor's really frozen up but starts. I get to the bank. I add the water that I have with me. I get a check from the teller, Sara. "Ruthy" hardly starts, but she starts. I get back to Good Buddy's and buy a 1990 F-150.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Metamorphosis
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Metamorphosis
PG 65
I leave behind my old truck and drive off in an F-150. I finally get out of Helena, Montana. The equipment gets set up in Missoula, Montana. I head out for a couple days of camping at Jonsrud fishing access.
I almost know I'd be getting this truck the day I see her; no plates, a CB, 4x4 traction, a CD player, and brown paint. Good Buddy's Pawn Shop gives me directions to city hall so I can get 20 day tags. I transfer the load of equipment from "Ruthy" to "Hellena" and tie it down. I leave Ruthy out front of an empty lot by the Pawn Shop. Steve says he'll help go back and take her to the wrecking yard. "R.I.P.." Tragic. She's gone so far. She never does make 250,000 miles on the odometer. Now she's metamorphosed into a truck I thought or knew I'd have from a year ago. I drive to the court house and get tags. I get to Fort Harrison. I check the load, the water, and the tires. I drink a cold one. I get to the Prospector's Shop. Check the load. I get out the maps, adjust the mirrors, and test CB ( It needs work ).
I drive up over the pass. Steve says I should have been looking backwards. That's where the view is. I try to stop in Garrison and drive right past it. There's maybe 5 buildings left. I U-turn around and get back on the freeway. I stop in Drummond for a root beer, a GatorAid, some beers and a bag of ice. I eat the left over green olive pizza. It has so much salt it's making me thirsty.
I get into Missoula about 8pm. I find the Fairgrounds. The manager, Toni, is having a staff meeting around a picnic table in back. She gets me the keys to the roof. Her husband, Jim, shows me the VIP room above the grandstands. He wants a TV put in across the room. Toni opens the mutual building where the equipment is delivered. I carry my computer and the box of masters out of my truck up to the roof. I carry up my camera and the 4 VRCs. Then I run out of energy poop steam. I lock up the roof and leave. I stop for gas and to buy ice. The attendant lady gives me a Missoula map. I forget the ice I bought. Steve says to try camping at the Jonsrud fishing access. By now it is getting dark. I hear the strange sound of bugs hitting the truck body and windshield. I get to Jonsrud but pass the camping area and travel up a wash board dirt road about a mile before I can turn around. I park in a day use area not knowing it. I play a little guitar, drink a beer, and fall asleep in the cab. My new big truck had lots of room for "sleeping in a car." I can't figure out where the camping spots are because it's so dark. There are two girls camping in front of their cars headlight. This was about all I could differentiate in the dark. I read the owners manual to my truck for a couple minutes with my flash light. I wake up at 4am and read awhile longer. I sleep until 8am, remembering that the Ranger usually stops by about 9:30am.
PG 65
I leave behind my old truck and drive off in an F-150. I finally get out of Helena, Montana. The equipment gets set up in Missoula, Montana. I head out for a couple days of camping at Jonsrud fishing access.
I almost know I'd be getting this truck the day I see her; no plates, a CB, 4x4 traction, a CD player, and brown paint. Good Buddy's Pawn Shop gives me directions to city hall so I can get 20 day tags. I transfer the load of equipment from "Ruthy" to "Hellena" and tie it down. I leave Ruthy out front of an empty lot by the Pawn Shop. Steve says he'll help go back and take her to the wrecking yard. "R.I.P.." Tragic. She's gone so far. She never does make 250,000 miles on the odometer. Now she's metamorphosed into a truck I thought or knew I'd have from a year ago. I drive to the court house and get tags. I get to Fort Harrison. I check the load, the water, and the tires. I drink a cold one. I get to the Prospector's Shop. Check the load. I get out the maps, adjust the mirrors, and test CB ( It needs work ).
I drive up over the pass. Steve says I should have been looking backwards. That's where the view is. I try to stop in Garrison and drive right past it. There's maybe 5 buildings left. I U-turn around and get back on the freeway. I stop in Drummond for a root beer, a GatorAid, some beers and a bag of ice. I eat the left over green olive pizza. It has so much salt it's making me thirsty.
I get into Missoula about 8pm. I find the Fairgrounds. The manager, Toni, is having a staff meeting around a picnic table in back. She gets me the keys to the roof. Her husband, Jim, shows me the VIP room above the grandstands. He wants a TV put in across the room. Toni opens the mutual building where the equipment is delivered. I carry my computer and the box of masters out of my truck up to the roof. I carry up my camera and the 4 VRCs. Then I run out of energy poop steam. I lock up the roof and leave. I stop for gas and to buy ice. The attendant lady gives me a Missoula map. I forget the ice I bought. Steve says to try camping at the Jonsrud fishing access. By now it is getting dark. I hear the strange sound of bugs hitting the truck body and windshield. I get to Jonsrud but pass the camping area and travel up a wash board dirt road about a mile before I can turn around. I park in a day use area not knowing it. I play a little guitar, drink a beer, and fall asleep in the cab. My new big truck had lots of room for "sleeping in a car." I can't figure out where the camping spots are because it's so dark. There are two girls camping in front of their cars headlight. This was about all I could differentiate in the dark. I read the owners manual to my truck for a couple minutes with my flash light. I wake up at 4am and read awhile longer. I sleep until 8am, remembering that the Ranger usually stops by about 9:30am.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: the Face of G*d
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: the Face of G*d
Page 71
The video equipment gets to Missoula. I test drive my truck up the old Wallace Creek mining road. I'm camping out in Thibodeau Sheep Flats.
I get my load of equipment and sort it out. I try to tie it down but the hooks are not there. I put out my trash. I fill the water bucket and change my shirt. I drive back to Missoula. The blue tarp keeps popping up. I have to stop and tie it down. I get to Missoula about 10:00 AM. While I'm unloading my computer and stuff, I notice the towers with cables between them from my dream the night before. They're on the roof of one of the large Fairgrounds buildings. I take a picture of this. It's near the Commercial Exhibits building. I find a Jiffy Lube; oil, lube, and wipers. I'll have to shop around to get an emergency serpentine belt. Not bad! I get to the Fairgrounds about 11:30 AM. Toni's so busy. I cant get the key. I'm going to a parts store and then camping.
8:40 PM, 5 miles past the Jonsrud Camp Site. Thibodeau Sheep Flats?
Another hair raising, wonderful, and adventurous day. A lot of things in my stuff melt; CD cases, emergency candles and the black electrical tap. At 5pm in Missoula, the sign outside of Checkers sign reads 117`. Fire season is in full effect. It's 10:48 PM before I finally eat. Tonight's special: Campbell's Minestrone Soup in a can. It's boiler makers time and a very pleasant night for a star party. It now is the extreme opposite of 12 hours ago. I buy grocery's in Clinton. I mess up the turn on Hwy 200 and go South on Hwy 90. I get beer, water, round crackers, a summer sausage, a potato and a bag of ice. I remember the ice this time.
The according to my Western Montana map and Robert Feldman's 1985 book, "Rock Hounding Montana," Wallace Creek Road goes all the way through to Hwy 200 at Potomac. The signs at Wallace Creek Road say, "No through fair." The book says, "Lying on the South Slopes of the garnet range the District is reached by a scenic mountain from Clinton. Several mines are present, a few of them are lying at a relatively low elevation." Cool. I'll test out the locking hubs and the 4x4. I head up Wallace Creek Road. I pass a new Housing Development. The winding road comes to an "End of Montana Road Department" sign. It turns into a gravel road about at the Ranger station. I wind my way up to an incline where I pull over at a level target shooting pit. I get out, locked the hubs and get me a cold beer for my lap. The road goes all up hill the entire time with but two ruts for a road and a shear drop off on my left. I kept going, "Just don't do anything stupid and back up to turn around if the road is caved in." Now I'm four wheeling. I pass a skull with a No Trespassing sign before I get to what must be another Range station. I get to the summit which has a for sale sign on it.
I go a little farther around a corner and there's a house. A ways down from a house are there are two dead 4x4's and a Lincoln. I get so that I'm starting back down from the summit. I pass a cow grazing near the road. I think for what ever reason, "Wow, it's the face of God." Then the truck stalls for a moment. I go "No! Not here!" Nobody goes up or down this road for days. Sure enough, Hellena dies, which of course so goes the breaks and steering. I put her in park and start her again. She hiccups and seems to be out of gas. She completely dies. The battery won't turn her over. It's 100` out. My cellphone doesn't have service. I decide to let her cool off. I walk down the road to see if there is a house for help. I walk for what seems like only 20 minutes. Around each corner I'm thinking there has got to be something until I get to another corner. I turn around because of the heat. I pull myself up the hill to the truck. I had gone down farther than I thought. I want to lay down and not get up. Nobody goes down this road. I watch my footprints I made coming in the whole way back. I get to the me truck which is stopped in the middle of the narrow road. I climb in and turn her over. She starts!
Page 71
The video equipment gets to Missoula. I test drive my truck up the old Wallace Creek mining road. I'm camping out in Thibodeau Sheep Flats.
I get my load of equipment and sort it out. I try to tie it down but the hooks are not there. I put out my trash. I fill the water bucket and change my shirt. I drive back to Missoula. The blue tarp keeps popping up. I have to stop and tie it down. I get to Missoula about 10:00 AM. While I'm unloading my computer and stuff, I notice the towers with cables between them from my dream the night before. They're on the roof of one of the large Fairgrounds buildings. I take a picture of this. It's near the Commercial Exhibits building. I find a Jiffy Lube; oil, lube, and wipers. I'll have to shop around to get an emergency serpentine belt. Not bad! I get to the Fairgrounds about 11:30 AM. Toni's so busy. I cant get the key. I'm going to a parts store and then camping.
8:40 PM, 5 miles past the Jonsrud Camp Site. Thibodeau Sheep Flats?
Another hair raising, wonderful, and adventurous day. A lot of things in my stuff melt; CD cases, emergency candles and the black electrical tap. At 5pm in Missoula, the sign outside of Checkers sign reads 117`. Fire season is in full effect. It's 10:48 PM before I finally eat. Tonight's special: Campbell's Minestrone Soup in a can. It's boiler makers time and a very pleasant night for a star party. It now is the extreme opposite of 12 hours ago. I buy grocery's in Clinton. I mess up the turn on Hwy 200 and go South on Hwy 90. I get beer, water, round crackers, a summer sausage, a potato and a bag of ice. I remember the ice this time.
The according to my Western Montana map and Robert Feldman's 1985 book, "Rock Hounding Montana," Wallace Creek Road goes all the way through to Hwy 200 at Potomac. The signs at Wallace Creek Road say, "No through fair." The book says, "Lying on the South Slopes of the garnet range the District is reached by a scenic mountain from Clinton. Several mines are present, a few of them are lying at a relatively low elevation." Cool. I'll test out the locking hubs and the 4x4. I head up Wallace Creek Road. I pass a new Housing Development. The winding road comes to an "End of Montana Road Department" sign. It turns into a gravel road about at the Ranger station. I wind my way up to an incline where I pull over at a level target shooting pit. I get out, locked the hubs and get me a cold beer for my lap. The road goes all up hill the entire time with but two ruts for a road and a shear drop off on my left. I kept going, "Just don't do anything stupid and back up to turn around if the road is caved in." Now I'm four wheeling. I pass a skull with a No Trespassing sign before I get to what must be another Range station. I get to the summit which has a for sale sign on it.
I go a little farther around a corner and there's a house. A ways down from a house are there are two dead 4x4's and a Lincoln. I get so that I'm starting back down from the summit. I pass a cow grazing near the road. I think for what ever reason, "Wow, it's the face of God." Then the truck stalls for a moment. I go "No! Not here!" Nobody goes up or down this road for days. Sure enough, Hellena dies, which of course so goes the breaks and steering. I put her in park and start her again. She hiccups and seems to be out of gas. She completely dies. The battery won't turn her over. It's 100` out. My cellphone doesn't have service. I decide to let her cool off. I walk down the road to see if there is a house for help. I walk for what seems like only 20 minutes. Around each corner I'm thinking there has got to be something until I get to another corner. I turn around because of the heat. I pull myself up the hill to the truck. I had gone down farther than I thought. I want to lay down and not get up. Nobody goes down this road. I watch my footprints I made coming in the whole way back. I get to the me truck which is stopped in the middle of the narrow road. I climb in and turn her over. She starts!
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: "Hi Dogie"
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: "Hi Dogie"
Page 74
My truck stalls in the middle of nowhere and starts up. There is a mean old dog just around the corner. I meet two men in a pickup who help me determine what's wrong with my truck. I return to Jonsrud to camp.
I rev my truck up and start coasting down the summit. I keep the RPMs up but she stalls and hiccups wherever she wants. I get to the last corner that I'd reached by walking but had turned around to get back to the truck and didn't go around. There's a small house with a swing set and toys in the yard... and a BIG BLACK white beard whiskered attack dog. I go, "HI DOGIE." The dog jumps on my door to get in at the window. The dog follows me around a corner, barking the whole way until I can't see the house anymore. I still keep the motor running revving high so my truck doesn't die. The road's incline starts to level out. I pass a mile marker that says mile six. My truck won't idle without starting to die. I keep revving her up.
I stop for the first people I've seen the entire afternoon who are passing by in a red Dodge pickup and canopy. I tell the two dudes, a heavy set gray hair ponytail guy and his passenger who has a nice smile, about the summit. The heavy driver goes, "Vapor locking on you , huh?" Yeah, I vapor lock all the way to Highway 200. Then, like she's come out of being flooded, she goes up to 75 MPH. I decide to go to Checkers to get a new battery and replace the rotten one. I call my dad because cos he knows about F-150s. He says they used to put aluminum foil around the gas line to keep it away from the hot manifold. I get to Checkers. The new battery's the most expensive part I replace. Sure enough, the fuel line is touching the Edelbrock manifold. I swap out the battery in the parking lot. The sign out front says 117`. I never been anywhere this hot before. The summit really defines 'bold.' Dad says to find some shade for my truck. Vapor locks are common on hot days. I offer Ryan, the teller at Checkers, a beer on his smoke break. He declines. I go to the little store and get drinks; lemon aide powder, a six pack of ginger ale, and V-8 juice.
I drive back out to Jonsrud Park. Too many people around to camp there for me. I go farther out the Jonsrud Road to the next camp site. There are alot of people rafting today. One kid hitch-hiking has on cutoffs, an inner tube and a white plastic grocery bag full of beers. The road is super dusty and a wash board. I get here at 7:30 PM. There are still rafters getting in. I get camp site #6 because it's excluded far in the back. I set out the tent but there are yellow bees everywhere. I throw out the yellow bees and sort out the food box; 3 more yellow bees. "I hate yellow bees." I got stung by one in the ear once long ago while water painting in kindergarten and lost part of my left ear. As a rule; more than 3 yellow bees means there's a nest close by. There are 3 yellow bees just around my red beer. So I move but site #1's too close to the super dusty road. I get site #4 thats in between the pump water and the pit toilet. All the rafters leave at dark. I'm 5 miles down the wash board road. The few people that came by car leave. 12:13 PM, it's a star party.
Page 74
My truck stalls in the middle of nowhere and starts up. There is a mean old dog just around the corner. I meet two men in a pickup who help me determine what's wrong with my truck. I return to Jonsrud to camp.
I rev my truck up and start coasting down the summit. I keep the RPMs up but she stalls and hiccups wherever she wants. I get to the last corner that I'd reached by walking but had turned around to get back to the truck and didn't go around. There's a small house with a swing set and toys in the yard... and a BIG BLACK white beard whiskered attack dog. I go, "HI DOGIE." The dog jumps on my door to get in at the window. The dog follows me around a corner, barking the whole way until I can't see the house anymore. I still keep the motor running revving high so my truck doesn't die. The road's incline starts to level out. I pass a mile marker that says mile six. My truck won't idle without starting to die. I keep revving her up.
I stop for the first people I've seen the entire afternoon who are passing by in a red Dodge pickup and canopy. I tell the two dudes, a heavy set gray hair ponytail guy and his passenger who has a nice smile, about the summit. The heavy driver goes, "Vapor locking on you , huh?" Yeah, I vapor lock all the way to Highway 200. Then, like she's come out of being flooded, she goes up to 75 MPH. I decide to go to Checkers to get a new battery and replace the rotten one. I call my dad because cos he knows about F-150s. He says they used to put aluminum foil around the gas line to keep it away from the hot manifold. I get to Checkers. The new battery's the most expensive part I replace. Sure enough, the fuel line is touching the Edelbrock manifold. I swap out the battery in the parking lot. The sign out front says 117`. I never been anywhere this hot before. The summit really defines 'bold.' Dad says to find some shade for my truck. Vapor locks are common on hot days. I offer Ryan, the teller at Checkers, a beer on his smoke break. He declines. I go to the little store and get drinks; lemon aide powder, a six pack of ginger ale, and V-8 juice.
I drive back out to Jonsrud Park. Too many people around to camp there for me. I go farther out the Jonsrud Road to the next camp site. There are alot of people rafting today. One kid hitch-hiking has on cutoffs, an inner tube and a white plastic grocery bag full of beers. The road is super dusty and a wash board. I get here at 7:30 PM. There are still rafters getting in. I get camp site #6 because it's excluded far in the back. I set out the tent but there are yellow bees everywhere. I throw out the yellow bees and sort out the food box; 3 more yellow bees. "I hate yellow bees." I got stung by one in the ear once long ago while water painting in kindergarten and lost part of my left ear. As a rule; more than 3 yellow bees means there's a nest close by. There are 3 yellow bees just around my red beer. So I move but site #1's too close to the super dusty road. I get site #4 thats in between the pump water and the pit toilet. All the rafters leave at dark. I'm 5 miles down the wash board road. The few people that came by car leave. 12:13 PM, it's a star party.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: "Have You Found Any?"
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: "Have You Found Any?"
Pg 76
I get rested up and eat. I pan along the river on a hot day. I meet up with a group of rafters late at night. It's a star party.
9:41 AM, 08/02/2003.
- Camp Special -
* 2 large potatoes
* Beef bullion
* Salt
* Pepper
* 1/3 summer sausage diced up
Boil potatoes in water until soft. Add meat (This is the tricky part because of the yellow bees). Eat hot.
I got up at 7:00 AM yesterday. I got 8 hours sleep last night. Cook coffee. Cook stew. Not much of an appetite lately. It must be all the excitement. I pop open the hood on the truck. I get a bucket of water, a rag, and a motel bar of soap. I wash off the dust on the engine. A park Ranger comes by in her truck. She cleans the floor in the pit toilet. She doesn't stop but waives "Hi" coming and going. She must have know I'm gonna complain about the bees. I finish up while a second ranger comes past. He doesn't look at all. He may be checking the other Ranger's work.
I get my red beers, my placer things and find a giant carnelian stone in the river to sit on. A seemingly endless parade of tubers, rafters and canoeists float past.
"Have you found any?" "I'm trying to pay off the mortgage."
"Have you found any?" "Brought dis wit me ta look good."
"Have you found any?" "No, I'm gonna get a dredger."
"Are you getting any?" I will not say (I'm sure they mean gold).
Well, this goes on for hours. By the end of the day, I have to come up with better answers.
"Are you finding any?" "I'm going back to playing guitar ...being a carny ...betting on horses."
"Have you found anything?" "I found Kurt Cobain," squirting my arm with the eye dropper.
That's enough. Have I taken Kurt's name in vain? I'm water wrinkle wet. It's hot out so I don't mind. I change my clothes. I read my music journal some. I go for a late day nap so I can star party.
I wake up hearing people talking over the bank, "OK, 1-2-3! Okay, ready? 1-2-3." I hear a door slam. I sit up in the dark. I can't see a thing. It's about 11PM. I load my gun, cock it and leave it on my pillow. I get my shoes on and go to see what's up. There's two dudes deflating their raft. They're talking about drinking their last two Sparks. I offer up the last of my Scotch in a plastic cup. I'm down to my last beer. They drink their last Sparks. I drink my last beer. We talk about how different Montana's laws are compared to Oregon; the open container law, handgun on the dashboard law, 75 MPH speed limit.
Hours later their buddies pull in with one car. They can't find the other car in the dark. They get their directions and leave once again. The one dude, Mark with the cowboy hat, nods off against a rock. I get my guitar and play tunes. The other dude hums along and makes up songs about Mark because he's passed out there. My watch alarm chimes midnight. Maybe 20 minutes later, two cars with the rafters come back up the road and pull in. The four of them put the raft on top of a small car that smells like burning oil. They take off going down a wrong turn and a head into the dark. The evening is warm. Lots of stars out for the start party; the Big Dipper, the King and Queen, the Little Dipper and the Dragoon.
I get rested up and eat.
I pan along the river while rafters float past.
I meet a group of rafters around midnight.
Pg 76
I get rested up and eat. I pan along the river on a hot day. I meet up with a group of rafters late at night. It's a star party.
9:41 AM, 08/02/2003.
- Camp Special -
* 2 large potatoes
* Beef bullion
* Salt
* Pepper
* 1/3 summer sausage diced up
Boil potatoes in water until soft. Add meat (This is the tricky part because of the yellow bees). Eat hot.
I got up at 7:00 AM yesterday. I got 8 hours sleep last night. Cook coffee. Cook stew. Not much of an appetite lately. It must be all the excitement. I pop open the hood on the truck. I get a bucket of water, a rag, and a motel bar of soap. I wash off the dust on the engine. A park Ranger comes by in her truck. She cleans the floor in the pit toilet. She doesn't stop but waives "Hi" coming and going. She must have know I'm gonna complain about the bees. I finish up while a second ranger comes past. He doesn't look at all. He may be checking the other Ranger's work.
I get my red beers, my placer things and find a giant carnelian stone in the river to sit on. A seemingly endless parade of tubers, rafters and canoeists float past.
"Have you found any?" "I'm trying to pay off the mortgage."
"Have you found any?" "Brought dis wit me ta look good."
"Have you found any?" "No, I'm gonna get a dredger."
"Are you getting any?" I will not say (I'm sure they mean gold).
Well, this goes on for hours. By the end of the day, I have to come up with better answers.
"Are you finding any?" "I'm going back to playing guitar ...being a carny ...betting on horses."
"Have you found anything?" "I found Kurt Cobain," squirting my arm with the eye dropper.
That's enough. Have I taken Kurt's name in vain? I'm water wrinkle wet. It's hot out so I don't mind. I change my clothes. I read my music journal some. I go for a late day nap so I can star party.
I wake up hearing people talking over the bank, "OK, 1-2-3! Okay, ready? 1-2-3." I hear a door slam. I sit up in the dark. I can't see a thing. It's about 11PM. I load my gun, cock it and leave it on my pillow. I get my shoes on and go to see what's up. There's two dudes deflating their raft. They're talking about drinking their last two Sparks. I offer up the last of my Scotch in a plastic cup. I'm down to my last beer. They drink their last Sparks. I drink my last beer. We talk about how different Montana's laws are compared to Oregon; the open container law, handgun on the dashboard law, 75 MPH speed limit.
Hours later their buddies pull in with one car. They can't find the other car in the dark. They get their directions and leave once again. The one dude, Mark with the cowboy hat, nods off against a rock. I get my guitar and play tunes. The other dude hums along and makes up songs about Mark because he's passed out there. My watch alarm chimes midnight. Maybe 20 minutes later, two cars with the rafters come back up the road and pull in. The four of them put the raft on top of a small car that smells like burning oil. They take off going down a wrong turn and a head into the dark. The evening is warm. Lots of stars out for the start party; the Big Dipper, the King and Queen, the Little Dipper and the Dragoon.
I get rested up and eat.
I pan along the river while rafters float past.
I meet a group of rafters around midnight.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Time Off to Rain Camp
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Time Off to Rain Camp
Page 79
It starts raining while camping at the Lolo Camp Grounds. I run to town to look for dad's old house and deliver racing equipment. I camp at Jonsrud overnight in the rain. I return to Missoula and boss shows up.
08/03/2003 Rainy, 68', 8:58 AM, Lewis and Clark's Lolo Pass Camp Ground, Site 10.
I wake up this morning with a brown spider in my tent. I shoe it. My head is all plugged up, maybe from the heat yesterday. Two little girls and a beagle politely knock on the pit toilet while I am thinking. They and their parents are camping across the way. Smoking withdrawals.... I'm going into town. I forgot to let anyone know where I'd be. I eat chilly and crackers. The weather is not as hot as it has been out. The heat clouds have started cooling things. I brake camp. I pitch a couple crackers to the chipmunks to keep them out of my engine. I load down with a blue tarp and throw a pallet over everything.
8:15 AM, #715, Brooks Motor Inn, Missoula, Montana.
I stop at Jonsrud to fill up the water buck and dump off trash. The park is packed. Cars are lining up both sides of the streets and parking lot. I drive to the Fairgrounds. I carry up the equipment to roof. I sort out the master tapes and dub off orders. I go past the house where dad used to live. I take a few pictures. I call Verizon to clear up a bill going to collections for a second line I'm supposed to have. I wait for 30 minutes on hold on my cellphone until Lucas helps with what is obviously a mistake. I buy groceries at the Orange Street Market. I stand in line next to an army clad punk rocker with an East Coast Bostonian accent.
I drive to back to Lolo Pass Camp Ground. All but one of campsites are taken. There's a slight sprinkle. I pay the $10 to camp over night. I set up the tent with a blue tarp for rain. I cook hot dogs wrapped with cheese and rolled in Bisquick dough. I'm cooking them in a pan with lid. I stow these away in Glad bags for later. It gets dark out. I try to write but I'm too tired. It rains all night. It's some kind of nice. I'm used to camping in the rain since I'm from from Oregon. I camp by a babbling creek. It rains in the morning. I wait until 11:00 AM to leave so I can check into the hotel when I arrive in Missoula. By the time I leave, there is only one camper left. The Ranger comes by and picks up the white tab on the camping site number post. I leave in the rain. It's the first time I use the wipers on my truck.
The Hotel doesn't check in until 2PM. I go to the Fairgrounds. I set up the video switcher and check for email. I'm unable to get Megan on the phone. At exactly 2:00 PM, I check into room. I shop around at Goodwill and find a book about money. I postalize a couple post cards. I'm board, stiff and antsy. I start to worry about Megan. I go back to my hotel room and read my new book a little. I bring back my computer to my hotel room. There is no word from Megan. I try watching TV to stop thinking. I watch "Pay It Forward." I walk to the store next door. I buy root beer and a cigar. Steve gets in at 9:30 PM. We go to Pizza Hut for dinner. Megan calls. She left her phone in her purse and couldn't hear it. Things are OK. I buy a Jack Bourbon at the bar. I flip through the TV until 2:00 AM.
8:13 PM, 08/04/2003, Brooks Motor Inn, Missoula, Montana.
End of work day.
7:01 AM, 08/05/2003, Room 715, Brooks Motor Inn.
I start off with coffee and (?) a muffin. I change my black polo shirt into one of my five black polo shirts. Steve also goes for the hotel's continental breakfast. He steps off a step by the room and falls, spilling his coffee and muffins. We both meet up at the track. We get the keys to the tower, jockey room and photo finish. We unload 14 TVs and start setting up.
Page 79
It starts raining while camping at the Lolo Camp Grounds. I run to town to look for dad's old house and deliver racing equipment. I camp at Jonsrud overnight in the rain. I return to Missoula and boss shows up.
08/03/2003 Rainy, 68', 8:58 AM, Lewis and Clark's Lolo Pass Camp Ground, Site 10.
I wake up this morning with a brown spider in my tent. I shoe it. My head is all plugged up, maybe from the heat yesterday. Two little girls and a beagle politely knock on the pit toilet while I am thinking. They and their parents are camping across the way. Smoking withdrawals.... I'm going into town. I forgot to let anyone know where I'd be. I eat chilly and crackers. The weather is not as hot as it has been out. The heat clouds have started cooling things. I brake camp. I pitch a couple crackers to the chipmunks to keep them out of my engine. I load down with a blue tarp and throw a pallet over everything.
8:15 AM, #715, Brooks Motor Inn, Missoula, Montana.
I stop at Jonsrud to fill up the water buck and dump off trash. The park is packed. Cars are lining up both sides of the streets and parking lot. I drive to the Fairgrounds. I carry up the equipment to roof. I sort out the master tapes and dub off orders. I go past the house where dad used to live. I take a few pictures. I call Verizon to clear up a bill going to collections for a second line I'm supposed to have. I wait for 30 minutes on hold on my cellphone until Lucas helps with what is obviously a mistake. I buy groceries at the Orange Street Market. I stand in line next to an army clad punk rocker with an East Coast Bostonian accent.
I drive to back to Lolo Pass Camp Ground. All but one of campsites are taken. There's a slight sprinkle. I pay the $10 to camp over night. I set up the tent with a blue tarp for rain. I cook hot dogs wrapped with cheese and rolled in Bisquick dough. I'm cooking them in a pan with lid. I stow these away in Glad bags for later. It gets dark out. I try to write but I'm too tired. It rains all night. It's some kind of nice. I'm used to camping in the rain since I'm from from Oregon. I camp by a babbling creek. It rains in the morning. I wait until 11:00 AM to leave so I can check into the hotel when I arrive in Missoula. By the time I leave, there is only one camper left. The Ranger comes by and picks up the white tab on the camping site number post. I leave in the rain. It's the first time I use the wipers on my truck.
The Hotel doesn't check in until 2PM. I go to the Fairgrounds. I set up the video switcher and check for email. I'm unable to get Megan on the phone. At exactly 2:00 PM, I check into room. I shop around at Goodwill and find a book about money. I postalize a couple post cards. I'm board, stiff and antsy. I start to worry about Megan. I go back to my hotel room and read my new book a little. I bring back my computer to my hotel room. There is no word from Megan. I try watching TV to stop thinking. I watch "Pay It Forward." I walk to the store next door. I buy root beer and a cigar. Steve gets in at 9:30 PM. We go to Pizza Hut for dinner. Megan calls. She left her phone in her purse and couldn't hear it. Things are OK. I buy a Jack Bourbon at the bar. I flip through the TV until 2:00 AM.
8:13 PM, 08/04/2003, Brooks Motor Inn, Missoula, Montana.
End of work day.
7:01 AM, 08/05/2003, Room 715, Brooks Motor Inn.
I start off with coffee and (?) a muffin. I change my black polo shirt into one of my five black polo shirts. Steve also goes for the hotel's continental breakfast. He steps off a step by the room and falls, spilling his coffee and muffins. We both meet up at the track. We get the keys to the tower, jockey room and photo finish. We unload 14 TVs and start setting up.
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Room Time Back at the Hotel
Brydn's 2003 Travel Journal - Montana: Room Time Back at the Hotel
Page 82
Last entries in the Montana journal. I return to Missoula to set up another series of horse racing. The races have become complacent.
Steve and I unload 14 TV sets and start setting them up. This requires lifting 14 full size Mitsubishi TVs over my head. One of the stands are suspended by chains and little 'S' hooks that brakes and beans Steve in the head, who is hanging below it to see if it will hold. One of the beer guys see this and tries to help hold the stand. We leave the stand's repair for the grounds people. We set up the video cameras in the towers. The towers are taller than the ones in Great Falls. They are giant Culvert piping standing on end and welded together. There's a door cut into the side and a metal ladder welded on the inside that lead to the camera position. The top level sways pretty good. There are two tie wires anchored to the ground that steady the 50 foot towers. The back tower has a yellow bee nests on the roof and on the inside. Steve shows me how he sets up the photo finish dark room once we have three camera signals. This includes setting up the photo finish camera, the control box. the enlarger, arranging the chemicals and bringing up water. We do a film test and develop it. Then we go to lunch.
Steve takes me to a Chinese Buffet. All you can eat for $6. I have two large plates of fried food; chicken, chicken on a stick, wantons, spring rolls, and more potato like food. I have coffee and water. I go back again and get a big plate of fruit; watermelon, sour grapes, cantaloupe, weird white 'boiled' pitted graped, and more fruit like fruit salad. Steve has a bowl of soup and a plate of Chow Mien. Then he goes back for Sushi. We go back and rewire the video system Steve style; more simple. We go down to plug in the house into channel 13. We talk to tote man Bob and his wife a while. In the mainline area, the mutual tellers are getting their spiel about selling tickets. We plug in the TV to the jockey's room. In the beer garden, the staff has fixed the one side of the broken TV stand from earlier. While not repairing the other side, it brakes a second time beaning Steve in the head 2 for 2.
We finish. Steve and I go back to the hotel. I play a little guitar. Steve changes. We go to dinner at the Montana Club. Steve gets a sandwich. I get a taco salad. The waitress and Steve hit it off. We check out a bar where Brian may be. We go back to the hotel and watch "Reno 911."
Page 84,1:43 AM, 08/07/2003, Room 715, Brooks Street, Missoula,Montana
Burning VCD 650 MB
Monday 08/04/2003
China Buffet AM
Hang TVs.
Set up 3 cameras.
Bourbon at the Montana Club PM.
Tuesday 08/05/2003
Post time 2:00 PM, 10 races.
Set up verification
Terrific storm during Race 9
China Buffet
Wednesday, 08/06/2003, Room 606
Post time, 2:00 PM, 10 races
Write letter AM
McDonald's AM
Mongolian Grill PM
Wash/Dry clothes
Thursday 08/07/2003
Post time 2:00 PM
10 races
Friday 08/08/2003
Brian and I take Ruthy to the wrecking yard.
Saturday 08/10/2003
Steppingwolf Concert
Post time 12:30 PM
Page 85
Magnified gas
Magnetic gasoline
Lode Stone Fuel
Bar Magnet Premium
Music Idea:
"Turn your Computer into your Marshall stack, Plug, speakers, software, effects."
Plug your guitar into your PC
Chord book
Lessons
PG 86, 08/17/2003 8:33AM, Room 19, Glacier Gateway Motel.
I stay late to dub copies for customers. I make 5 or 6 video tapes. I return to the hotel room. While I'm In the parking lot, the lady in the office calls me over. All my stuff is in the lobby in a pile. She says my room is paid for but now I'm new in room 19. Ken, Brian and Judah experience the same exodus. I call Steve. He says they've checked into the Aero Hotel. My concern is they've gone back to Great Falls. I call Bill in room 16. He stands there watching as I heft my gear up the stairs to my new room. He says, "You don't travel lite do you." Fat & lazy!
I go to Wendy's and get a burger, fries and a chicken salad. They forget the burger so I have to go back. This old witch lady is complaining at the registrar that one of the boys cooking isn't wearing gloves.
I get some Ice House beers. I change my shirt. Then I drive to the Aero Hotel to check with Ken. The desk lady says they are in room 101. There is no one home. Nice hotel though; swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and pinball.
Page 87; 08/18/2003 1:00 AM.
Rest stop.
Computer Idea:
PC for you car
Fits in radio slot
Runs on 12 volts
Smaller than laptop
Internet
40 gig liquid crystal display
Speaker of car
Alarm connection
Windows Xbox software
Music Title:
"The Rest of the Story" - Paul Harvey
Page 82
Last entries in the Montana journal. I return to Missoula to set up another series of horse racing. The races have become complacent.
Steve and I unload 14 TV sets and start setting them up. This requires lifting 14 full size Mitsubishi TVs over my head. One of the stands are suspended by chains and little 'S' hooks that brakes and beans Steve in the head, who is hanging below it to see if it will hold. One of the beer guys see this and tries to help hold the stand. We leave the stand's repair for the grounds people. We set up the video cameras in the towers. The towers are taller than the ones in Great Falls. They are giant Culvert piping standing on end and welded together. There's a door cut into the side and a metal ladder welded on the inside that lead to the camera position. The top level sways pretty good. There are two tie wires anchored to the ground that steady the 50 foot towers. The back tower has a yellow bee nests on the roof and on the inside. Steve shows me how he sets up the photo finish dark room once we have three camera signals. This includes setting up the photo finish camera, the control box. the enlarger, arranging the chemicals and bringing up water. We do a film test and develop it. Then we go to lunch.
Steve takes me to a Chinese Buffet. All you can eat for $6. I have two large plates of fried food; chicken, chicken on a stick, wantons, spring rolls, and more potato like food. I have coffee and water. I go back again and get a big plate of fruit; watermelon, sour grapes, cantaloupe, weird white 'boiled' pitted graped, and more fruit like fruit salad. Steve has a bowl of soup and a plate of Chow Mien. Then he goes back for Sushi. We go back and rewire the video system Steve style; more simple. We go down to plug in the house into channel 13. We talk to tote man Bob and his wife a while. In the mainline area, the mutual tellers are getting their spiel about selling tickets. We plug in the TV to the jockey's room. In the beer garden, the staff has fixed the one side of the broken TV stand from earlier. While not repairing the other side, it brakes a second time beaning Steve in the head 2 for 2.
We finish. Steve and I go back to the hotel. I play a little guitar. Steve changes. We go to dinner at the Montana Club. Steve gets a sandwich. I get a taco salad. The waitress and Steve hit it off. We check out a bar where Brian may be. We go back to the hotel and watch "Reno 911."
Page 84,1:43 AM, 08/07/2003, Room 715, Brooks Street, Missoula,Montana
Burning VCD 650 MB
Monday 08/04/2003
China Buffet AM
Hang TVs.
Set up 3 cameras.
Bourbon at the Montana Club PM.
Tuesday 08/05/2003
Post time 2:00 PM, 10 races.
Set up verification
Terrific storm during Race 9
China Buffet
Wednesday, 08/06/2003, Room 606
Post time, 2:00 PM, 10 races
Write letter AM
McDonald's AM
Mongolian Grill PM
Wash/Dry clothes
Thursday 08/07/2003
Post time 2:00 PM
10 races
Friday 08/08/2003
Brian and I take Ruthy to the wrecking yard.
Saturday 08/10/2003
Steppingwolf Concert
Post time 12:30 PM
Page 85
Magnified gas
Magnetic gasoline
Lode Stone Fuel
Bar Magnet Premium
Music Idea:
"Turn your Computer into your Marshall stack, Plug, speakers, software, effects."
Plug your guitar into your PC
Chord book
Lessons
PG 86, 08/17/2003 8:33AM, Room 19, Glacier Gateway Motel.
I stay late to dub copies for customers. I make 5 or 6 video tapes. I return to the hotel room. While I'm In the parking lot, the lady in the office calls me over. All my stuff is in the lobby in a pile. She says my room is paid for but now I'm new in room 19. Ken, Brian and Judah experience the same exodus. I call Steve. He says they've checked into the Aero Hotel. My concern is they've gone back to Great Falls. I call Bill in room 16. He stands there watching as I heft my gear up the stairs to my new room. He says, "You don't travel lite do you." Fat & lazy!
I go to Wendy's and get a burger, fries and a chicken salad. They forget the burger so I have to go back. This old witch lady is complaining at the registrar that one of the boys cooking isn't wearing gloves.
I get some Ice House beers. I change my shirt. Then I drive to the Aero Hotel to check with Ken. The desk lady says they are in room 101. There is no one home. Nice hotel though; swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and pinball.
Page 87; 08/18/2003 1:00 AM.
Rest stop.
Computer Idea:
PC for you car
Fits in radio slot
Runs on 12 volts
Smaller than laptop
Internet
40 gig liquid crystal display
Speaker of car
Alarm connection
Windows Xbox software
Music Title:
"The Rest of the Story" - Paul Harvey
Busk Pitches: Downtown Portland's SW 9th & Yamhill
Busk Pitches: Downtown Portland's SW 9th & Yamhill
NW Corner of SW 9th Street and SW Yamhill Street
An excellent pitch to busk is SW 9th and SW Yamhill.
Busking? Set up a pitch here; SW 9th and SW Morrison (MAP). I'll go over location, hours, donation range, what it's known for, why locals like it, and the details of a great corner to busk. The shop there lets me play guitar out front for tips. There's more to it.
This fine busk pitch is the West end of the Max Station East on SW 9th and SW Yamhill Street. 7am is the legal sound limit that you can begin. There's good foot traffic throughout the day until about 10pm. Be careful cos you can zero out for the day. Tips range from $0.0 buck an hour up to about $4 per hour. There are no known discounts. There are no available happy hours. This pitch has a quite feeling cos of the Library. The pitch is rain proof cos it's under a hallway area. It's a standard playing area with excellent acoustics. Petersons' Store is on the other side of the block for drinks or food. I'd talk to Tim about playing Portland street corners cos he plays this corner day and night for the last 7 years. Being with a parking building, this pitch has lots of parking. Better yet, the public transportation is the first stop in to Portland from Hillsboro on the Max Train going East on SW Yamhill. There are no food shops in the immediate area. SW 9th and SW Yamhill has a good flat wall. The parking structure has a couple shops that are in a covered hallway. It's located across corner from the new Directors Park. The Max riders have a few minutes to listen while the wait for the train at the Max station. There are a few historically old churches in the area. Standard pitch, low foot traffic. It has moderate busk quality. The location is next to Max train station East on SW Park and SW Yamhill Street. Busking hours around about 7am - 11pm, 7 days a week. No contact information. There are no discounts available. There is an advantage in this pitch cos of the new Directors' Park and future Fox Tower (?) There is no known ticket information. Must-sees are Tim the Violin player and Bruce the violin player. No kid-friendly events. No contests available. Pioneer Square has food carts during the lunch hour. You can ride the Max train to this pitch.
Applicable websites:
Mother Goose
http://www.therealmothergoose.com/
ArtMedia Art Supply,
http://www.artmediaonline.com/
TriMet Max Train
http://trimet.org/
An excellent street corner to pitch is against the Parking Building in front of Mother Goose on the Eastbound Max Station on SW Yamhill and SW 9th. Remember to obey the 50' sound limit and one hour per corner laws. Yeah, check out this excellent busk pitch. Have fun, work on your skills, art, social things, learn new tunes and play for tips.
It's an excellent pitch.
The area is growing.
Moderate donations.
When you busk with a wall or corner behind you makes your sound is heard better by the audience than busking in the open.
http://www.therealmothergoose.com/
http://www.artmediaonline.com/
http://trimet.org/
NW Corner of SW 9th Street and SW Yamhill Street
An excellent pitch to busk is SW 9th and SW Yamhill.
Busking? Set up a pitch here; SW 9th and SW Morrison (MAP). I'll go over location, hours, donation range, what it's known for, why locals like it, and the details of a great corner to busk. The shop there lets me play guitar out front for tips. There's more to it.
This fine busk pitch is the West end of the Max Station East on SW 9th and SW Yamhill Street. 7am is the legal sound limit that you can begin. There's good foot traffic throughout the day until about 10pm. Be careful cos you can zero out for the day. Tips range from $0.0 buck an hour up to about $4 per hour. There are no known discounts. There are no available happy hours. This pitch has a quite feeling cos of the Library. The pitch is rain proof cos it's under a hallway area. It's a standard playing area with excellent acoustics. Petersons' Store is on the other side of the block for drinks or food. I'd talk to Tim about playing Portland street corners cos he plays this corner day and night for the last 7 years. Being with a parking building, this pitch has lots of parking. Better yet, the public transportation is the first stop in to Portland from Hillsboro on the Max Train going East on SW Yamhill. There are no food shops in the immediate area. SW 9th and SW Yamhill has a good flat wall. The parking structure has a couple shops that are in a covered hallway. It's located across corner from the new Directors Park. The Max riders have a few minutes to listen while the wait for the train at the Max station. There are a few historically old churches in the area. Standard pitch, low foot traffic. It has moderate busk quality. The location is next to Max train station East on SW Park and SW Yamhill Street. Busking hours around about 7am - 11pm, 7 days a week. No contact information. There are no discounts available. There is an advantage in this pitch cos of the new Directors' Park and future Fox Tower (?) There is no known ticket information. Must-sees are Tim the Violin player and Bruce the violin player. No kid-friendly events. No contests available. Pioneer Square has food carts during the lunch hour. You can ride the Max train to this pitch.
Applicable websites:
Mother Goose
http://www.therealmothergoose.com/
ArtMedia Art Supply,
http://www.artmediaonline.com/
TriMet Max Train
http://trimet.org/
An excellent street corner to pitch is against the Parking Building in front of Mother Goose on the Eastbound Max Station on SW Yamhill and SW 9th. Remember to obey the 50' sound limit and one hour per corner laws. Yeah, check out this excellent busk pitch. Have fun, work on your skills, art, social things, learn new tunes and play for tips.
It's an excellent pitch.
The area is growing.
Moderate donations.
When you busk with a wall or corner behind you makes your sound is heard better by the audience than busking in the open.
http://www.therealmothergoose.com/
http://www.artmediaonline.com/
http://trimet.org/
Friday, December 10, 2010
Grandma's Back Porch
Grandma can't get in her apartment. I help her through the back to get there.
DREAM 06/13/2009
Grandma's Locked-out. I'm just arriving at my apartment. My Grandma, who lives next door has locked herself out of her apartment. She want me to open my apartment back door to the common porch so she can get in her place [confusing that opening my back door lets her in her apartment, parallel universe, but then this is a dream]. I unbolt the lock to the door to the common area. We go out on the porch. Her friends are there. We sit and visit. She can now get in her apartment next door through her back door.
Old age can lead to remembering things.
DREAM 06/13/2009
Grandma's Locked-out. I'm just arriving at my apartment. My Grandma, who lives next door has locked herself out of her apartment. She want me to open my apartment back door to the common porch so she can get in her place [confusing that opening my back door lets her in her apartment, parallel universe, but then this is a dream]. I unbolt the lock to the door to the common area. We go out on the porch. Her friends are there. We sit and visit. She can now get in her apartment next door through her back door.
Old age can lead to remembering things.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike from Portland to Detroit, Pg.1 Bk. 1
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike from Portland to Detroit, Pg.1 Bk. 1
06.15.2009 Troutdale, Oregon. 8AM.
Journal entry to the beginning of eight day travel from Portland, Oregon, to Detroit, Michigan.
Ron R. to La Grande, 5PM.
Dan B. to Ontario, Oregon. Suggests avoiding Utah through Pocatello, Idaho, and going South to Wyoming. Call Dad @ Chevron. Stay under overpass East of Exit 3. Rains.
Sort out pack. Drink beer. Scare off pigeons w/ harmonica. A couple times. Sleep some. Cut out black plastic bags for a mat. Get up day break. Ditch bags. Walk back to Chevron for a bottle of water. Return to overpass. Get things. Hitch ride w/ Terry @ 8:25AM. Worst thing happens to him. Wife died in September. Got 4.5 percent drunk. Roll car @ marker 167. He's having a hard time about it.
Get ride to Boise Factory outlet. Raining. Hitch ride w/ Stephan. Oil Rig driller.
Hitch Hiking trip starts out in Troutdale, ORegon.
First ride has truch that runs on hydrogin
Stay under overpass at Exit 3, Oregon
The entire trip from Portland to Detroit take 8 days.
06.15.2009 Troutdale, Oregon. 8AM.
Journal entry to the beginning of eight day travel from Portland, Oregon, to Detroit, Michigan.
Ron R. to La Grande, 5PM.
Dan B. to Ontario, Oregon. Suggests avoiding Utah through Pocatello, Idaho, and going South to Wyoming. Call Dad @ Chevron. Stay under overpass East of Exit 3. Rains.
Sort out pack. Drink beer. Scare off pigeons w/ harmonica. A couple times. Sleep some. Cut out black plastic bags for a mat. Get up day break. Ditch bags. Walk back to Chevron for a bottle of water. Return to overpass. Get things. Hitch ride w/ Terry @ 8:25AM. Worst thing happens to him. Wife died in September. Got 4.5 percent drunk. Roll car @ marker 167. He's having a hard time about it.
Get ride to Boise Factory outlet. Raining. Hitch ride w/ Stephan. Oil Rig driller.
Hitch Hiking trip starts out in Troutdale, ORegon.
First ride has truch that runs on hydrogin
Stay under overpass at Exit 3, Oregon
The entire trip from Portland to Detroit take 8 days.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg.2 Bk. 1
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg.2 Bk. 1
Hitch hike the second day through Idaho to Montpelier.
06.15.09
Stephan's going to N. Dakota; 14 day on, 14 day off. Says he got job from playing cribbage at a bar w/ old drunk guy. Plays a lot of clutch. Good guy. Gives me a new black plastic contractor's bag.
I'm at "Flying J," 12 miles South of Pocatello, Idaho. Flash flood raining, 1PM. Stops raining some. Catch ride w/ Nick, his wife (name?) and child, Libby. He's a grade school teacher in a town North of Soda Springs, Idaho. Hitch out of town from East edge of town. Takes 'till 3:30 PM. Get ride from newly wed couple, David (name?) and Crystal. Married Saturday. 24pk of beer. Give me two durring the hike. Real nice 22 yr.olds. Talks about hunting deer.
Welcomehome.org
06.16.09
Can't get a ride form the edge of town. Hike back to North Montpelier. Check out park. Look for dry shelter although it's mostly nice out. Ride in went so fast, have to look again. Sherriff drives by. Walk back to park. Change out of wet shoes in covered pic-nic area. Find sign saying park open 5AM to 11PM. Can't stay here. Get 211@ store. Sheriff drives by again. Walk to next small stop. Call Dad. Hike back to south end of town.
Get a ride from an oil driller.
Montpelier, Idaho, is a fantastic town in the mountains.
I have no idea what welcomehome.org means. Must be a road sign.
Hitch hike the second day through Idaho to Montpelier.
06.15.09
Stephan's going to N. Dakota; 14 day on, 14 day off. Says he got job from playing cribbage at a bar w/ old drunk guy. Plays a lot of clutch. Good guy. Gives me a new black plastic contractor's bag.
I'm at "Flying J," 12 miles South of Pocatello, Idaho. Flash flood raining, 1PM. Stops raining some. Catch ride w/ Nick, his wife (name?) and child, Libby. He's a grade school teacher in a town North of Soda Springs, Idaho. Hitch out of town from East edge of town. Takes 'till 3:30 PM. Get ride from newly wed couple, David (name?) and Crystal. Married Saturday. 24pk of beer. Give me two durring the hike. Real nice 22 yr.olds. Talks about hunting deer.
Welcomehome.org
06.16.09
Can't get a ride form the edge of town. Hike back to North Montpelier. Check out park. Look for dry shelter although it's mostly nice out. Ride in went so fast, have to look again. Sherriff drives by. Walk back to park. Change out of wet shoes in covered pic-nic area. Find sign saying park open 5AM to 11PM. Can't stay here. Get 211@ store. Sheriff drives by again. Walk to next small stop. Call Dad. Hike back to south end of town.
Get a ride from an oil driller.
Montpelier, Idaho, is a fantastic town in the mountains.
I have no idea what welcomehome.org means. Must be a road sign.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg.3 Bk. 1
Get stuck in Montepleir, Idaho. Hike to the South end of town and find Squirrel.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg.3 Bk. 1
06.16.09
It's getting dark. Walk past little hill going South on Hwy 30. Find a good spot to camp in the field. Mosquito's too thick.
Get up a little father. Find sage bush off side of road. Look closer. There's a shirt and stuff. I'm going "Oh, no, a dead body." All of a sudden he sits up and goes "hey!" I apologize for startling him. Say I'll sleep the next bush over. His name is Squirrel (Anthony). Everyone calls him Squirrel from the Vietnam War. He has on a Castro tee-shirt, dreads, and a beard. He says he's stuck there since 4PM. So, he said "f*ck it" and laid down to read his book. He's touring around from a Dead Head concert in the Gorge. We talk music. He's a little bit of a player. Says most music towns like Austin, Nashville, New Orleans, Beale Street don't allow amplified music. He lost his brother last October. Hew found his bro who shot his-self, laying at home for three weeks where Squirrel could find him. He went on about not getting a ride. He'd walk the 100 miles, 30 to 40 mile a day if he had to. He falls asleep while talking with me. Goes Dumpster diving in all the big towns,
Camp out in field
Meet Squirrel traveling with Dead Head tour
Amplified music is discouraged in large music towns.
Idaho is way up in the mountains.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg.3 Bk. 1
06.16.09
It's getting dark. Walk past little hill going South on Hwy 30. Find a good spot to camp in the field. Mosquito's too thick.
Get up a little father. Find sage bush off side of road. Look closer. There's a shirt and stuff. I'm going "Oh, no, a dead body." All of a sudden he sits up and goes "hey!" I apologize for startling him. Say I'll sleep the next bush over. His name is Squirrel (Anthony). Everyone calls him Squirrel from the Vietnam War. He has on a Castro tee-shirt, dreads, and a beard. He says he's stuck there since 4PM. So, he said "f*ck it" and laid down to read his book. He's touring around from a Dead Head concert in the Gorge. We talk music. He's a little bit of a player. Says most music towns like Austin, Nashville, New Orleans, Beale Street don't allow amplified music. He lost his brother last October. Hew found his bro who shot his-self, laying at home for three weeks where Squirrel could find him. He went on about not getting a ride. He'd walk the 100 miles, 30 to 40 mile a day if he had to. He falls asleep while talking with me. Goes Dumpster diving in all the big towns,
Camp out in field
Meet Squirrel traveling with Dead Head tour
Amplified music is discouraged in large music towns.
Idaho is way up in the mountains.
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg4. Bk. 1
Brydn Journal 2009 - Hitch Hike Travels from Portland to Detroit, Pg4. Bk. 1
Late in the morning I catch a ride from Idaho to Nebraska.
o6.17.09
The night's clear. Sky full of stars, a firmament. Sometime no truck come by and it's quiet out. Freeze me ass off all night. I fall asleep. Start snorting and making noises to scare off a nightmare. Wakes Squirrel up.
Dawn. Eat jerky and nuts. Pack up my things. Squarely goes "good luck." I start hiking up Hwy 30 to Wyoming. Nothing, nothing. Walk backward with right thumb out. Walk forward with left thumb out. Find a broken cell phone. Find a cat with 1/2 head run over. The crows ate the brains. Lots of railroad work trucks go by. Must be 9 or 10 AM. 6 or 7 miles of hiking I'm starting to doubt 30 miles a day. Develop a big ripper on the ball of my right foot. Maybe 10 cars roll by the entire time. All of a sudden a small car pulls up with a turn signal on. Stops and puts on the flashers. I run up to the car. Open the door and go "good morning, I think I'm stuck on Hwy 30."
Brian W. from Portland gives me a ride to Ogallala, Nebraska. Laid off finance forecaster from Nike. Soft spoken or I'm going def. Plays alot of tunes from groups I have not heard. Azis, Squirrel not Zipper, Reggae Tum. Buys me lunch at a Sonic Drive-up.
Sometime you get stuck hitch hiking.
I averaged 400 miles a day.
Footcare is extremely important.
After you get through the Rockies the lay of the land is flat.
Late in the morning I catch a ride from Idaho to Nebraska.
o6.17.09
The night's clear. Sky full of stars, a firmament. Sometime no truck come by and it's quiet out. Freeze me ass off all night. I fall asleep. Start snorting and making noises to scare off a nightmare. Wakes Squirrel up.
Dawn. Eat jerky and nuts. Pack up my things. Squarely goes "good luck." I start hiking up Hwy 30 to Wyoming. Nothing, nothing. Walk backward with right thumb out. Walk forward with left thumb out. Find a broken cell phone. Find a cat with 1/2 head run over. The crows ate the brains. Lots of railroad work trucks go by. Must be 9 or 10 AM. 6 or 7 miles of hiking I'm starting to doubt 30 miles a day. Develop a big ripper on the ball of my right foot. Maybe 10 cars roll by the entire time. All of a sudden a small car pulls up with a turn signal on. Stops and puts on the flashers. I run up to the car. Open the door and go "good morning, I think I'm stuck on Hwy 30."
Brian W. from Portland gives me a ride to Ogallala, Nebraska. Laid off finance forecaster from Nike. Soft spoken or I'm going def. Plays alot of tunes from groups I have not heard. Azis, Squirrel not Zipper, Reggae Tum. Buys me lunch at a Sonic Drive-up.
Sometime you get stuck hitch hiking.
I averaged 400 miles a day.
Footcare is extremely important.
After you get through the Rockies the lay of the land is flat.
Report Spam
Report Spam
Spam on Toast
Report Spam
You've got spam! Do the right thing. Turn them in. At this point, spammers are out of control. Is it free speech? Is it commerce? One thing for sure, it's annoying! You can become a spam chef. Umm-mmmm. Hot spam.
Prevention
Prevention is the best way to not get spam. Don't give out your email address. If you open the spam to report it, don't click on the links. They monitor where the click comes from and hit your account hard. Don't put your email address on the web where it can be gleaned. If you do, spell out the "at" and the "dot" as in 'name "at" yahoo "dot" com.' That way the email robots can't interpret it as an email address. You can set up a free email accounts with Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo that you can throw out later. Another way to make your email anonymous is to post on Craig's List and use the reply address to send email to your account. This works for a week or until your post gets flagged off.
Forged Headers
Zeroing in on a spammer usually isn't too difficult. You can track anyone down on the web, if you put enough time and money into it. The main information area of an email is it's header. You have to look around to go about finding it at the various email providers. They all have "full header" options. This tells you the Internet Service Provider's address where the spam originated, it's return email route, the time of delivery, the time sent, the initial sender and much more. Unfortunately, all of it can be forged or faked except the time of delivery and ISP's route address. So, a spammer can change the originating spam address, return address, time sent and whatever to hide where the spam originates. (Neat, huh?) You appear to get spam from your own email address. There are ways of finding the ISP and contacting them regarding your clever spam entity.
Reporting Spam
Gmail is very good about controlling their incoming spam. Yahoo can control it, if you upgrade to a premium account (Neat, huh?). You can buy software that filters out spam. That is "throwing good money after bad money." Then, there are a few anti-spam organizations the help in reporting spam. The two best ones around are SpamCop (http://www.spamcop.net/) and CastleCops (http://www.castlecops.com/). Once you sign up a free account with them, you can copy the header and spam-mail into their online form and report the spammer. They look up the Internet Service Provider that hosts the spammer and sends the ISP a letter regarding the spammer on ISP's server spamming all over the place. The idea being the ISP is responsible for their internet content and finds the spammer responsible for breaking the law. Well, a few countries, world wide, can't or don't want to understand this.
The Spammer
Spam is illegal. No one reports their spam, so it continues. I have a Hotmail account from the 80's that gets so much spam no one will ever be able to do anything about it. If more people reported a little bit of their spam here and there, it would change the outcome of spam and the people that send unsolicited email. I can't imagine what a spammer looks like. What? Hairy backed blob in their shorts sitting there hitting the enter button over and over. There is a good article about the Spam King on http://www.mahalo.com/Edward_Davidson.
Here is a list of email addresses to report spam email with their headers: report@dcm.mailprove.com, knujon@coldrain.net, submitspam@fortinet.com, spam@mailpolice.com, nanas@killfile.org, spam@sendusspam.com, junk@brightmail.com, spam@cybertopcops.com, spam@uce.gov
Here are links to help you understand your spam:
Tutorials on Reading Email Headers
http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/spam-header.html
http://www.onimoto.com/cache/50.html
Network Tools
http://www.demon.net/external/
http://www.geektools.com/whois.php
Abuse Contact Database
http://www.abuse.net/lookup.phtml
Anti-Spam Portal
Website that lists all various spam laws by state:
http://www.spambrigade.com/spamlaws.html
So, get some spam, fry it up, and bon appetit.
- Where to report spam
- The email header
How to Scrape Off Windshield Ice in a Storm
How to Scrape off Windshield Ice in a Storm
Scraping Ice
Are those gray snow clouds? Did it just drop below freezing? Is your car is parked outside? It will have a thick covering of snow and ice. How do you scrap the ice off your windshield? Well, it is easy enough to stay inside and drink hot chocolate. Here are a few tips to help you get ready to be back on the road in the morning.
First thing, the best thing to keep your windshield clear is to park under a carport or in the garage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of scraping. De-Icers come in spray cans and bulk buckets. They are very expensive and not good for the car exterior or rubber around the windows. The same goes for salt water. Sure melts the ice and rust out the body's metal. Dumping hot water on your window can shatter it. You also end up with a puddle of water that freezes over in the cold weather.
You do not want to pound on the ice to break it free. A winter or two ago, a friend from Detroit helped break off the ice by pounding on the windshield on my F150 to break off the thick ice. Days later, when the snow and ice melted, a small rock chip had made its way clear across the windshield. You do not want to scrap off ice with a sharp metal object like a knife, file, or putty knife. Even though it works great to chip off the ice, you will find scratch marks in the glass that do not come out.
A good way to loosen up the ice is to run the car a bit with the defroster turn up all the way. While this is going on, get a bucket of hot water and a rag. Soak the rag in the hot water and gentle wipe it over the ice. When the rag cools, squeeze it out to get rid of the cold water before putting it back in the hot water again. This keeps the bucket of water hot longer than returning the iced up rag to it. Sometimes a credit card (one thing that Citi Bank card is good for) or any other plastic card works. If we are talking ¼ inch ice, you want a strong scraper. A good scraper is a hard plastic spatula from the kitchen. There are ice scrapers you can get from the store. The molded plastic ones freeze up and snap when it is really cold out.
Keep scrapping. When the ice thaws from the glass, it pops off when you work the scraper up under it. It takes a lot of elbow grease and patience. Don't use any thing metal. Do not dump hot water on the glass. Keep the defroster running on high. Clear off the side mirror with hot water and a rag. Be careful not to crack the ice off because you do not want to break the mirror. Clear the entire windshield and windows so you are not looking out a little scrapped spot. You want to have a clear view of the road, especially in winter driving conditions.
Once the window are cleared off, you can cover them to keep the ice and snow off. I always cover the defrost vents around the wipers with a dry towel so that the defroster stays clear of snow and ice blows air well. Use a tarp, newspaper, plastic bags, or cardboard to cover the windshield and windows to keep them clear of ice and snow. I'll put a board or snow on the coverings to hold them down. You can shut the doors on the covering to hold them in place. I recently noticed that driver flip their windshield wipers in a locked position forward to keep them from freezing to the windshield.
There you go. Now your car windshield and windows are clear and ready for the road. Why don't you go in and get that cup of hot chocolate?
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