Follow Your Dreams

Some dear friends once gave me a sky blue wall plaque with a rainbow that read "Follow Your Dreams". The drive in Lamar Valley tonight reminded me of this plaque:

Backroads

I needed a drive, so I took East River Rd to Livingston, then I-90 to Big Timber.
Big Timber is small town Montana.

I shopped in this boutique - very cute stuff. Bought a birthday present for Rebekah and a Christmas ornament for the exchange my friends and I will have this December.

Decided to take the backroads home via 298 from Big Timber. Beautiful country.

I didn't stop here for lunch though....

I thought this was a wierd name for a ranch in Montana, but the next picture will explain it...

Can you see the Lion's head in the rock?

I stopped at Natural Bridge & Falls State Park. Not quite as impressive as the Natural Bridge S.P. in Kentucky, but I enjoyed the short walk and scenery.

Wildflowers are gorgeous right now...

A man-made bridge in the background and water flowing under the natural bridge in the front.

Water flowing out the other side...

As I left the S.P., I headed into the Gallatin National Forest. The West is like a different country. This sign on the post is an example:

This part of the country is much drier and heavily forested. Fires move through and change the landscape. Part of this forest has burned. I wonder if the fire stopped from a change in the wind direction or snowfall?

The forest service was gravel and narrow. There were several one-lane bridges. Ever mile or so, there was a ranch or different church camps.

After driving several miles in the forest, I turned around and headed back towards Livingston via West Boulder Rd. which turned into Swingley Rd once it entered Park County. GORGEOUS! I love Montana....

To quote Merle Haggard, "Put me in the middle of Montana"...

Once I got back to Gardiner, there was a rainbow. A perfect ending to a beautiful day.

After the Rain

Potpourri

Sunday night, I drove out to Lamar Valley. Didn't see any wildlife, but I did see an amazing double rainbow:
Coming back from Gardiner, there were dozens of elk. So far, this is the biggest herd we've seen here this year. Elk were everywhere and so were the people!

This is an elk jam:

Monday night, I rode out to Lamar Valley again with Suzanne, Martha, and Kim. I saw a pack of coyotes and 4 wolves. There was also an amazing sunset:

This is THE official wolf guy in YNP. He is a celebrity to my little group of buds here, but he doesn't know it!! Rick was out in Lamar watching the wolves and telling everyone which one was the alpha male, the alpha female, etc.