Here Moosie, Moosie, Moosie!

Monday, July 14, 2014

We’ve promised ourselves to get up and out early to look for the moose at Fisher Cap Lake one last time.  Up, dressed, coffee fixed and out the door in fifteen minutes!

Full moon and sunrise make a lovely combination.

Marilyn reminds me that I still want a picture of the Forest Gump bridge.  There isn't a pull off and it only appears fleetingly between the trees.  It is a fine example of the workmanship of those builders back in the day!

Out of St. Mary and into Many Glacier and as we’re driving we realize that we’ve finally found that illusive quiet, still lake with the mountains reflected in it!  It is such fun to play hide and seek with our shadows as we search for the quintessential reflection shot. 

I'm still not sure this is my favorite.

Onward and upward to Fisher Cap.  There are already a few people there with a spotting scope and their tripods, discussing the virtues of different camera brands and lenses.  They came from Whitefish, across the park, and even paid a guide to find them a moose.  They’ve been up since five and are about ready to give up and leave when we arrive.

We chat with one lady who tells us that we need to visit Whitefish because it is a darling little town.  She and her party leave and we give it another half hour or so before we, too, blow off the moose, just as she has blown us off!

At least we find ways to keep ourselves occupied while waiting for the invisible moose.

Viewing the world upside down.

Here's another entry in my "Paths" collection.  This one goes down to Fisher Cap Lake.

On the way back we stop at St. Mary’s Lodge and discover that we can use the wifi from our car!  We’re able to post our blogs that we finished last night and do a quick email check, although not spending much time – just being sure that there isn’t anything that will blow up before we get home!  We also go into the gift shop because Marilyn has decided that the red-bus charm I bought for my necklace is the most iconic thing we can find, so she gets one, too.

We’re planning on having a real breakfast at Rising Sun but we’ve missed the closing by about twenty minutes.  Drat!!  Back to the cabin so we can have more instant oatmeal, this time with almonds and cherries or cranberries, for some variety.  We look at the hikes and sights we want to take in on the drive across the Going to the Sun Road tomorrow.

We’re both pretty tired from the early departure and Marilyn snuggles in for a nap while I play with my computer and get our papers organized.  It’s good to be able to recycle some more things from our green folder of important documents.

When Marilyn gets up we have PBJs and chips for lunch and begin thinking about what we need to do to get ready for an early-morning departure.

Later we head out for a walk around the grounds, with the goal of asking at the camp store about laundry facilities.  First, though, we walk behind our cabin and discover that the creek we've been hearing is right outside and down a fairly steep slope!  There is a young couple walking a path below us and we later see a sign that identifies it as the Otokomi Lake Trail.  While we're walking and looking for critters we see a pair of those blue butterflies flying in circles around one another, like a small blue tornado and some other lovely sights.

It turns out the closest laundromat is the KOA Campgrounds on 89 and we aren’t that desperate yet.  We do have some clean clothes left, so we can wait.  Of course, while we’re at the store, there is always a little shopping to do!

You don't see many of these any more!  Since there is no cell reception
here, though, it's probably a good idea!

Back to the room for a quick download, and then we’re ready for our last dinner at Rising Sun.  Thomas Rolfe, who has been our maître d’ for every meal, teases with us and our waitress.  Marilyn has the fettuccini .  I’d like the trout but I can’t think about any more brussel sprouts to Bethany gets me the yummiest carrots and cauliflower instead.  The carrots are al dente and sweet and buttery and the cauliflower has garlic.  And the trout is a delicious as I remember.  Would that the wifi were as satisfying … I’ve only uploaded half my pictures and the meal is over.

Back to the car, in a light drizzle, and we are headed by to St. Mary Lodge to see if we can use theirs from the car again.  Well, that doesn’t work and there are a lot of people in the lobby and the lounge, but we find empty two seats on a couch and I get on line pretty quickly while Marilyn buys two stamps and mails her postcards to her granddaughters.

What a difference a connection makes!  Lickity split my photos are loaded and all I have to do is insert them, write captions, and publish!  There is a remarkably loud man sitting in the lounge pontificating to his tablemates – and everyone else as well; but he doesn’t stop our progress and ba-da-bing, I’m done!  It is interesting to note that nearly everyone we see has an electronic device of some sort and none of the people are under twenty-five.  So much for “the younger generation” being addicted to their toys!

On the drive back to the cabin in the dark we see two moose on Two Dog Flats but it is too dark to get pictures.  We’re all packed but decide to load the car in the morning when there is light and see if we can get enough sleep to leave our room by seven.