July 15 - 31, 2023 The Dog Days of Summer

July 16 - Sunday - We had a nice morning sitting outside. Then we spent a lot of time monitoring the gate and parking lot. Again we had lots of people here. When it settled down we went to town and ate pizza at Flathead Brewing Company. On Sunday, some of the usual places to eat are not open. Plus we were late going to town because we are watching the series 1883, which we really like.  I think it's better than Yellowstone. 

Flathead Lake through the window at the restaurant.

Sunset

Austyn at Flathead Brewing Co. Restaurant

July 17 - Monday - The girls left at 7:45 AM. They were on a rush trip. We were back to all the regular routines. We also hauled trash and then rested and relaxed part of the day. We kept up with Kristi’s progress on the drive through text messages.

Kristi and Austyn heading back home.

Geese on the lake.

July 18- Tuesday - We did all the routine things today. About 2:30 PM, A-1 Sanitation showed up and they were done about 3:30 . Recheck the bathroom and it was messy with some poop. So we drug the hose over and cleaned it up. Later that day the toilet in the RV broke. The whole thing broke near the floor. Oh Boy!

The guy who pumps out the outdoor toilet

July 19 - Wednesday - After completing our morning routine we headed to Kalispell. We were going to Bish’s to buy a new toilet. We got the only one they had. It was a floor model and they discounted it 15%. It was still more than $400! Then we stopped at Walmart for supplies. After lunch Steve started replacing the toilet. We had to go to the hardware in town for some part. He worked on the toilet even more. 

A nice car we saw in Kalispell

View on the drive to Kalispell

Trying to get the correct size for a part we needed

July 20 - Thursday - Today I walked the dogs and checked the bathroom. Then I rode to town with Steve for a part (for the toilet) and to pick up a package at the Post Office. Steve was  working on trying to connect the water to the toilet. Tony P came by and told us he would be gone Friday and Saturday. He will return on Sunday. Steve made another trip to town for a different part. He finally succeeded in getting the water connected to the toilet. Hooray!  More sunset pictures.

July 21 - Friday - Today was pretty routine and not too busy. Sydney was here for about 45 minutes or so. Talked to some people on the dock and in the parking lot. Monitored our dock and parking lot as needed. 

July 22 - Saturday - Today the high was 92° at 4 PM. We hauled off our trash and returned some parts to Sliter’s this morning, then we were back to the RV. We sat up on the hill to  keep the parking regulated for about and hour and a half. The Game Warden was here about and hour and a half also. 

A boat tied to the dock where there is no mooring allowed. It belonged to the rental place and their customers did not follow directions!

A cute little bird that posed for me.

 

July 23 - Sunday - Today was pretty routine. The boss came out about 12:15 and relieved us so we could eat lunch. Today was nothing too spectacular. It was still 91° at 8:00 PM.

Lake - with smoke in the distance

Another big boat!

July 24 - Monday - After doing all our routine things we took showers. Later we went to town and mailed a letter to Logan (grandson) who is in basic training at Fort Moore, GA. Of course we had to pick up a few things from the store. Then it was nap time.

A creepy crawly! I found it on the dock!

A deer of course!

July 25 - Tuesday - We did all the things including dumping the black and gray tanks. Then it was back to town  to do our laundry. Another stop at the grocery store for fruit, then back to the RV for a late lunch and relaxation. 

July 26 - Wednesday - We changed the sheets on the bed and re-positioned the mattress pad. It seems to slip and sometimes has to be fixed. I talked to my sisters, which was nice and did a few other phone calls as needed. 

A tire washed up on the beach. We got rid of it.

July 27- Thursday- Today we had to drag the hose over to the outdoor toilet and give it a good washing. Tony P called to check on us. He said two guys called him to check on getting the wood that is down here around the site. We discussed fire restrictions. Nothing too exciting.

Our pride and joy! (The outhouse) Also there is a deer keeping an eye on it!

Finally we got a picture of a buck!

July 28 - Friday - I started another letter to Logan and mailed it later. We went to town for pizza. If you are ever in Bigfork, MT and have a hankering for pizza - go to Rosa’s Pizza. We really like it. 

Another cool car!

July 29 - Saturday - It was a nice morning and we sat outside. Next we spent some time sitting at the top of the hill to educate people about parking. The Game warden was here , but not sure how long - He didn’t check in with us. 

July 30 - Sunday - We did all the same things this morning. We sat outside in the morning after finishing our chores. Then we did the parking lot monitoring and educating at the entrance. It was 93° at 5:30 PM. So the afternoon included a nap. Later we watched 1883 on TV and we really like this show. 

                                        Sights from around the lake!

Another boat left tied up - against the rules! The Rental company is in trouble with me!

Someone gifted us a traffic cone!

The broke our flag - but the flag still flies. It is just shorter.

Interesting RV!

July 31 - Monday- We were up about 7:30. So after the routine things, Steve lubricated our slides. Then we had showers. I checked on a package we ordered from Amazon. In addition we changed the air filters in the RV. Sydney was here and we visited with her. We drove to Kalispell later to pick up our package  at the UPS distribution center. This was a part for the Bathroom fan (motor). My poor husband has really had to fix and repair a lot of things this summer.

Poopsie is a princess!

Smoke in the distance

Yep, another boat left from the rental company customers. They even left the keys in it! The rental company got a call from me and they were there soon to pick it up!

July 25 - Aug 7, 2022 Summer Continues

A forest cabin you can rent.  Swan River guard station.

 Monday (25) We got up a little later today. After Steve showered we walked and did our chores. I guess we just putzed around this afternoon. Later we went to town and got chicken strips and shakes for supper at the Dairy Queen. Then we drove to Lost Creek (a forest road). It's down by Swan Lake across from the Wildlife Refuge. When we drove back to Echo Lake there was a beautiful sunset and we saw a lot of deer on the way back. 

Squirrel!

Lost Creek

 

The sunset pics are out of order! But I can't get them arranged correctly without messing things up!

Just another spectacular sunset! Tuesday (26) After doing our routine things we got the laundry ready and went to town to wash it. Then we stopped in at the grocery store before retuning to the RV. Buster seems to have hurt his left front leg - so we babied him. He finally went outside. Later we took him for a ride. He also trembled in the night and would not eat all day. Hopefully he is better tomorrow. Wednesday (27) Today Buster is better. He ate and drank later in the day. It was hot here so we stayed inside during the afternoon. 

A deer hiding in the trees!

Thursday (28) Pretty much the same as yesterday. We have been having our hot meal at noon and eating cheese and crackers or peanut butter on bread for supper. The high today was 93°! Friday (29) Again we made a trip to town to get some fresh chicken and romaine for our lunch. Then it was back to the RV. We had to download the pictures off the trail camera card as it was too full. Our boss Tony came by and we visited with him. We told him it was too hot and we were just letting the people do what they want in the parking lot and on the dock. He laughed, I don't think he believes us. He is going to spend his weekend rafting and will be unavailable. Today's high was 96°! Saturday (30) Today was pretty much the same story as yesterday! There were lots of people here and we let them enjoy the lake! Sunday (31) Today was also busy plus I was awake about every 2 hours because my shoulder is giving me fits. The bathroom was a mess and we had to drag the hose over and wash it out! We continue to have high temperatures in the mid to upper 90's. At least the mornings are nice and cool so we can walk and do our chores. Also it cools off in the evening. Monday (1) Just another routine day. We finished the evening with burgers and shakes at Burgertown in Bigfork. We had a 40 minute wait for our burgers. But it is worth it. If you are ever in Montana, get a burger at Burgertown, pizza at Rosa;s and try to go to the following cafes: Echo Lake Cafe, Pocketstone, and Grateful Bread. They are our favorites. Hopefully you aren't in a hurry because there is usually a wait involved. Tuesday (2) Today we got up and around pretty good and finished our walk and chores a little early. We headed out to Walmart at 9:30 and were back home by 12:20. We put away our supplies and had lunch. In the afternoon we pretty much just relaxed.  

It's smoky from the fires! Their smoke is drifting up here.

A really cute pickup that rolled through.

Moon shining on the Lake. 

Wednesday (3) We   completed our chores and that included dragging the hose over again to clean the outdoor bathroom. Steve dumped our holding tanks and I paid bills. Later I also worked on the blog. I have been very remiss in updating the blog and I really don't know why. I guess it just hasn't floated my boat this summer. We did have a nice drive this evening to Krause Trail and Strawberry Lake Trailhead. It was 88° and breezy today. the evening turned out nice though. 

I am utterly fascinated with the rocks and clear water here in Montana!

On our way back down the mountain, you can see the smoke laying in the Flathead Valley.

 

Finally we see a buck!

Thursday (4) Today we did a short walk because they put fresh dust control solution on the road where we usually walk. It seems oily when it is put down and we didn't want to mess up our shoes. We walked up the loop road a bit and as we were coming back down we saw A1 Sanitation here to pump out the outdoor toilet. Then we did our chores. We also drove to town to haul off our trash, wash the pickup and go to the grocery store. After finishing all that - we took it easy. 

A1 Sanitation to the rescue!

Friday (5) It was 49° at 8 ish. so we were a little sluggish this morning. When we walked there were 2 guys with a flatbed trailer dumping some logs/branches on the side of the road. We couldn't really tell what they were doing at first and we didn't confront them. But they shouldn't have been doing that. They were gone by the time we arrived back. Sometimes we don't know how far to go in confronting these people because we don't really have any authority. I didn't even get a picture of their license plates to turn in. I guess the FWP guys will have to burn it this fall. It was so hot today - nice about 80. The game wardens were here about 3 it was Chris and a new guy. Also another highlight of the day included finding a bag of recreational pot near the bathroom. We saved it to show our boss, then discarded it the next day. It was 3.5 grams and appeared to have cost about $30. 

Saturday (6) We did all the usual things. Tony P was here and he pulled out the dock .Then we talked to him about the guys who dumped the branches/logs and showed him the pot. 

We see some pretty nice (expensive) boats out here.

Sunday (7) After our chores we sat outside. It was a nice morning. Then we were inside to relax and have our leftovers for lunch. About 2 PM we were back outside monitoring the dock and checking up on folks. 

Buster (left) and Poopsie (right) are doing fine and they say Hi!