changing gears
Today I drive the two hours to Dillon, MT to return the little putt-putt car I've been driving, bus back in the evening, and begin to pack and prep for the next leg of my cross-country trip. Three people asked me in the span of an hour-and-a-half yesterday whether being here was a "good experience," and even though I'm the type who's inclined to say that any experience can be a good one, this one-month stay in Helena has been pinnacle.

Last weekend Bev and I drove to Yellowstone and back, camped one night at Canyon and hiked through the back country to peek at geysers, hotspots, hell pools and boiling mud pots. I'd never been to the Yogi Bear park and had no idea what it would be like--- it was certainly an unexpected experience.

There are few things I have left to do before I pack up and leave Helena, perhaps not to return for several summers. I think I've surprised both myself and those I know here by taking such a shine to the city-- maybe the next time I return I'll be back for good.