-- C Me Again Soon...

My morning started out with a nature walk through the KOA Kampgrounds in Billings, Montana.  The KOA map showed something called a "nature trail" on it-- it sounded nice... 

...the trail was really just a crappy dirt road that dead-ended after about a half mile. 

Here's an example of the 'nature' we saw along the way:  

You call this a nature walk?

On the way back through the campgrounds, we checked out some of the other RVs...  some were nicer than others.  This rig looked like a camper shell that was converted into a trailer...  I guess that's one way to be able to drive your truck into town and leave your fancy trailer in the park...

Nice digs, huh? 

I was having a conversation with one of the local dogs in the park and he told me that this is what they do to the naughty kids that get into trouble around the RV park-- kinda like Pinocchio when he was stuck in the Land of Toys (or Pleasure Island in the Disney flick).  For those of you who don't remember, the sinister purpose of the Land of Toys/Pleasure Island is where they transform the boys into donkeys-- it seemed this RV park was transforming the little brats into florescent green plastic caution signs...

...somebody get me outta here...

Okay, will somebody please explain this KOA Kampground sign to me? 

Does this mean, "Thanks come again, see me again soon"?  Or did the "o" fall off the marquee?  No, that couldn't be it-- why would they say "come again" and then "come again" on the same sign?   Hmm...  Here's a closer look:

no thanks--  no thanks



After more laundry, a shower, and a Skype session with my brother Richy who's in Iraq  (it's 130 degrees in Iraq today btw), it was time to pack up and leave this town. 

The drive east to Bozeman was a beautiful one with lots of green grass and mountains. 

We picked up our mail from a local UPS Store and then got some camping information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife office.  They gave us a map and suggested camping in the Gallatin National Forest.  That's the forest way off in the background of this photo:

Then we entered the Gallatin National Forest

My mom was having a cow in the back seat while we drove up a narrow dirt trail.  It was bumpy and the bumps annoy me, however I don't have a tizzy, on the verge of a nervous breakdown like my mom, simply because the road is a challenge.  At one point, we couldn't go any farther and my dad had to do a 7-point turn (as opposed to a 3-point turn, which was virtually impossible to accomplish in the Supervan on such a narrow trail) and my mom kept saying "we're gonna go off a cliff" as she looked out the back window.  Of course, we didn't-- but my mom was all stressed out and talking out loud to herself as my dad drove back down the trail. 

We camped in an undesignated area off the side of a dirt road.  I could see the gazillions of mosquitoes buzzing the tower.  I didn't care so much about mosquitoes, but that coupled with the 'beware of bears' sign was an iron-clad indication that my mom would not be leaving the confines of the Supervan. 

So much for a nature walk. 

My mom wouldn't even get out of the Supervan to take a photo of the campsite.  Sheesh mom.  Get a grip.

Haha... Just kiddin'

As for the bears, I heard my mom mumble something in the back seat earlier about how my dad was being a bear all day, so I guess she likes to avoid bears... (it had something to do with the TiVo not working and Fox Business Network didn't get recorded...) 

My only trip outside during the evening was to take a quick pee. 

No squirrel hunting here I guess...

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