Deeper Thoughts #5

On July 5^th, I was driving on Montana Highway 200 on my way to Thompson Falls for the Harlow Ranch Family Festival.   

I noticed a ton of traffic heading the other direction and very little traffic going in the direction I was. 

So is it a good or a bad sign when you encounter situations like this?

You could look at it either way.   You get the best driving experience with fewer people heading the same direction you are.  It’s certainly my preference.  You can slow down if there's something amazing to look at or make a sudden turn if you see a bright Estate Sale sign without upsetting drivers that are close behind you. 

But there could be some terrible disaster farther up the road that most others are trying to escape, and you are one of the few who hasn’t been listening to the news.  You are completely unaware of the trouble that awaits you.

Life is rather like this.   We cruise along and find a comfortable pace going in the direction we think is best.  But, like the person who has been working to climb the ladder of success only to realize at the end of life, that the ladder has been propped up against the wrong building, it wouldn’t hurt us to stop and analyze where we are going and why we are going there. 

Proverbs is a great book in the Bible, written by King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.  Here’s a couple things he wrote: 

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.  Proverbs 14:12

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.  Proverbs 21:2

How are we to know which is the right way to be going?  Ask God and He will answer.   I’ve found God always true to His promises!

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”   Jeremiah 6:16

Travel Adventure #9

On June 13th, I took another drive up to the Harlow Ranch Bison Co in Thompson Falls to show them some of my photo note cards to see if they might stock some in their gift shop.  I was so pleased that they did.   

Before we discussed the note cards I went on the 10am bison tour, this time riding in the cab instead of in the back of the truck.  I thought it would allow me to get some photos closer to ground level instead of from up above the bison.  Boy oh boy, was I surprised!!

It was quite a hilarious experience.  Almost every time I put my camera part way out the window, a large bison stuck its head right up to me to get some treats.   It was shocking just how huge these full grown bison are.

Then I got to watch a tussle between a couple bulls.   Not quite the same as the calves butting heads.  I'm sure they get bloodied up a bit from this activity.  

After a delightful time with the bison and with Maggie (the driver / gift shop manager), I drove a couple miles up the road and camped at the Thompson Falls State Park for the night.  I bought some fire wood, roasted a couple hot dogs over the fire and wished I had brought along some marshmallows.  I won't forget them next time!

Travel Adventure #6

 

On May 20th I had planned to visit friends in the Flathead Valley for a few days.  Just a couple days before the planned trip I saw an ad on Facebook about a Bison Tour at the Harlow Ranch Bison Co in Thompsons Falls.  I made a reservation for the 1.5 hour tour on the way to Bigfork.  It was well worth the side trip.  There were about 100 adult bison and about 30 "red dog" calves.  

I rode in the back of the truck with a lady from WA state and her son.  We had the best time feeding the bison, taking photos and sharing our amazement at these huge animals.

I learned that bison don't have any top teeth in the front but do have upper and lower molars in the back.  When we fed them the pellet snacks either we had to shove them into their mouths or wait for their rough tongues to curl around the treats and pull them out of our hands.  The first time was a bit frightening but after that it was great fun.

One bison named Barney would let us rub his head.  He seemed to be the only one treated as a family pet.  The rest had numbered tags in their ears.  Some would come up to the truck for treats but were not agreeable to having their heads rubbed.  There were a few in the corrals on the other side of the road that were at the all-you-can-eat buffet getting ready for market.

One of the friends I visited was eager to go on the tour so I went again on May 24th.   We were the only ones in the truck on that tour so had lots of mouths eager for the treats.  

I highly recommend these tours.  Melinda, our tour guide, answered all our questions and gave us the history of the ranch as she drove us through the bison grazing and resting.  You can find out more and make reservations on their website:  https://harlowranch.com/

Travel Adventure #5 - Part 1

What a gorgeous blend of colors as I drove out of town for my next travel adventure on May 7th.

I stopped to visit a friend in Butte who always insists it's his turn to pay for lunch.  

Then back on the road to stay with a friend in Livingston that I hadn't seen in a few years. Friends are the true treasures in life!

Mountain ranges are visible around Livingstone in most every direction.  There's the Absaroka and Gallatin Ranges looking southward and the Crazy Mountains looking north.

The next stop was Yellowstone Park.  Who would have thought so many people would be there so early in the season? 

I drove from Mammoth Hot Springs south and came across a field of mama bison with their babies.  Most all were laying down napping.  I waited quite a while in hopes they would get up and move around.

Bison don't get up like cows do with their back legs first.  They get up front legs first and can move quickly, especially if they feel their babies are being threatened.

Some interesting facts I learned..."Just minutes after they're born, calves stand on the ground and within a few hours they're running. Calves are born with their eyes open, weigh 25-40 lbs and have a reddish-brown coat that turns brown as they age." This is according to the Bison-Fact-Sheet on the nationalforests.org website.

Traffic jams in the Park are quite amusing.  In this situation a Park employee was pushing these bison along with a strange sounding siren coming from his truck.

I headed further south and stopped at the Madison campground where I checked in for one night.  The Madison Campground has over 200 campsites and they were mostly all filled. I headed down to check out Old Faithful before returning to my campsite where I heated up some leftovers on my camp stove from my lunch in Butte.  Yumm!

Thus ends day #2 on this travel adventure.  More to come in the next post.