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.