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Published: September 7th 2017
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blog 09-06-17 Two days together
I am trying to catch up so you all know where we are and that we are safe from all the fires.
The decision had been made several days ago not to go to Glacier because of the fires and the very bad air quality. How can you enjoy yourself in all that smoke and that is what this trip is about, enjoying ourselves. I am sorry Ginnie has to miss Glacier this trip but it gives her a reason to come back.
We spent an extra day in Gardner and caught up on laundry and we even cleaned the camper. There was so much dirt and dust inside we didn't recognize the place when we finished.
The next day we went to Deer Lodge, MT and stayed at a KOA on the Clark Fork River. The propreitor loved dogs and gave them each a bisquit when we checked in. It was a small campground but nicely kept and we had a peaceful night.
The next morning while exploring a little, discovered a Cottonwood Tree that was huge at the base, never saw one quite that big. There were ducks on
the river and during the night I heard a pack of cayotes howling. They seemed far away so it wasn't as scarry as the first time I heard them.
We left about 9:30 to go to the Grant-Kohler Ranch which is a Nat'l Historic Ranch preserved to show how ranching started in MT and contrubuted to the forming of our nation.
We toured the farmhouse but were not allowed to take pictures so I have to keep them in my mind. This was an opulant house this far away from civilization and tells the tale of two families. The Grant family built part of the house and gained wealth from raising cattle and being very shrewd business people. Mr Grant married a Native American woman and lived peacefully with the Indians and fur hunters alike. He was a shrewd trader and did very well financially.
In his later years a Mr Kohrs from Germany bought the house and one million acres of ranch and farm land and increased Mr Kohrs's wealth by not only selling the beef but doing the butchering too, eliminating the middle man. He also improved the herd by cross breeding Texas Longhorn with
hereford which gave him a smaller cow but a meatier one.
Mr Kohrs found a German woman who he admired and soon married and she added class and refinement to the frontier ranch. The home became an elegant showpiece with all the finery money could buy. She was also very good to the local residents providing flowers from her garden for their special occasions and even college for some of their children.
Mr Kohrs later became a Montana Senator and they were only able to spend the summer months at the ranch. It is through gifts and grants from the grandson that the ranch is preserved with most of it's original furnishing and contents.
A "cook" was on hand to tell us all about the chuck wagon and it's intricate part in the cattle drives and managing a cattle ranch. He even served a cup of "cowboy coffee".
It was a great morning but we had to get on the road to head west and try to get out of the smoke. I feel terrible complaining about the smoke with all the devestation the fires are causing throughout the state. Glacier is devestated and Lake McDonald
Lodge is now threghteded. Several firefighters have lost their lives and several more narrowly escaped the fire. It seems that the country is being flooded or burned to ruination.
Our day ended in Coeur d'Alene, ID in a nice campground but too close to civilization for us. The noise is too intense but we did take advantage of being here and ordered a pizza delivered to our door.
I am now current with the blog and hope to stay that way. We are on Pacific time now. Another state for Ginnie.....
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