I had almost ridden by this before I realized what it was. About every 10 feet for maybe 300 yards or more somebody had set up a wheelbarrow filled with rocks with a shovel propped against it. The one in the foreground must have fallen over but who knows maybe this is a Christo art thing and it has a meaning. Check out some of the stuff Christo has done and you will see that this fits right in. http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/
Like a lot of things that seem a bit unusual at first glance there is probably a logical explanation and/or reasonable story here to be told.
It was starting to rain and I thought would find some kind of shelter in Buxton but after riding quite a ways on Buxton Rd.I could not even see it. It may not exist other than the sign. So I headed back down the road and got drenched as well as hailed on.
I never met a Buxton I could depend on for services when needed.
After finishing the scenic 50+ mile tour it was still 30 nmiles to Butte. I was riding on a service road that ran parrallel to Interstate 15 and riding like hell trying to beat the rain that was coming behind me. I did not make it and got drenched which is not so bad but then it started to hail pretty hard and there was no cover of any kind around. I saw an overpass on the Interstate about a mile away and unhitched the trailer and lifted both it and bike over a 8 strand barbed wire fence (laid jacket over wire like I saw James Bond do once to keep from getting impaled--this worked mostly) and rehitched and sprinted for overpass. The hail was stinging and actually accumulating on ground and it crunched as I rode over it. Made it to overpass and was catching my breath when a motorcyclist pulled up as well.
The guy's name is Dallas Lewis and he is a very interesting fellow. We jabbered at each other for at least a half an hour , maybe more. He is one of those guys you instantly feel comfortable with anyway but we had a lot in common--same age etc etc. Look forward to staying in touch with him. We exchanged cards and took each others pic.
He is Blake Lewis's dad. Blake was the runnerup on American Idol 2 years ago. Dallas told me that Blake is coming out with his secind CD and requests that you readers all buy one and tell 10 friends about it as well. This is Blake on AI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NfHwgPNEBU
So I was dealing with an almost celebrity. You just never know who you will meet under an overpass in Montana during a hail storm.
The rain let up enough that we both were on our way. Dallas to Missoula and me to the nearest motel. I was planning on camping tonight but got out of the mood for obvious reasons. I made it to a motel in the town of Locker a suberb of Butte, and settled in for the night. In lobby while checking I met Bill retired mailman from Tennesse who is a good old boy comedian and we hit it off right away. We ended up having some pizza and beer and very interesting conversation. We both are big on the real history of the west instead of the made up glorified TV/Movie versions.
For instance we discussed Jeramiah Johnson , the real life "hero" portrayed by Robert Redford in the 1970's movie. JJ was actually a sociopath mass murderer who killed both Indians and whites because he was a psychopath. He maybe killed 300 Blackfeet Indians and a bunch of whites, which cause the Indians/whites to blame each other and caused more bloodshed.
The rain let up enough that we both were on our way. Dallas to Missoula and me to the nearest motel. I was planning on camping tonight but got out of the mood for obvious reasons. I made it to a motel in the town of Locker a suberb of Butte, and settled in for the night. In lobby while checking I met Bill retired mailman from Tennesse who is a good old boy comedian and we hit it off right away. We ended up having some pizza and beer and very interesting conversation. We both are big on the real history of the west instead of the made up glorified TV/Movie versions.
For instance we discussed Jeramiah Johnson , the real life "hero" portrayed by Robert Redford in the 1970's movie. JJ was actually a sociopath mass murderer who killed both Indians and whites because he was a psychopath. He maybe killed 300 Blackfeet Indians and a bunch of whites, which cause the Indians/whites to blame each other and caused more bloodshed.
When I lived in Wyoming near where he did his thing he is still called "liver eatin Johnson" by the locals, because he regularly ate the liver of his victims., and 19th century Hannibal Lector.
There are a lot more western myths thaat need to be discussed and I look forward to continuing that conversation with Bill somewhere down the line.
Tomorrow I would like to get to Helena which is about 65 miles from here but I here Butte calling me to check it out. Lots of history here. Will see how things go in themorning.
There are a lot more western myths thaat need to be discussed and I look forward to continuing that conversation with Bill somewhere down the line.
Tomorrow I would like to get to Helena which is about 65 miles from here but I here Butte calling me to check it out. Lots of history here. Will see how things go in themorning.
Btw , while I was checking in to motel dripping wet etc a trucker guy walks in and tell the desk clerk"some biker left his light on". He was referring to me because I had left my rear blinker on when I parked by the door. Under the circumstances it was funny as hell (you had to be there) and everyone in lobby laughed.
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