Butte, MT & Nat'l Bison Range 06-04-12

Yesterday, Monday, was just too long a day for us!  So, when we arrived in Kalispell at 10pm, we found our lodging, unloaded the car and fell into bed.  Today, Tuesday, we were busy arranging things in our room, shopping for a few groceries, getting settled in our classroom and, of course, checking out the fabrics on offer at the Quilt Gallery.   And then there is eating and sleeping and all that necessary stuff!  The weather is cool and there has been thunder and rain this evening, but we are cozy and warm and almost ready to go to bed.  Here are a few images from yesterday. 

 
Butte, Montana, is an old copper and silver mining town, built mostly on hillsides.  We drove around looking at the views and the old buildings that have been saved.  Looks like a lot of restoration has been lavished on these two elegant 1890s homes.  The houses are level - the street is quite steep.

 
Old mining head frame and some blue flowers blooming in an alley.  There are a number of these head frames dotted about town, but the current mining is all open pit.

 
We were in the alley because I wanted to clip a few stems from a big lilac bush hanging over a back fence.  About the time I reached up with my clippers a lady came out of the house, I said something about admiring the lilacs and she said "Hhhrump" and spat!  I hustled into the car with my prize and zipped away.  The fragrance was lovely - lilacs are not found in most of SCalifornia, just in the mountain communities.  I still miss them from growing up in Oregon.

We drove northwest on I-90 to pick up Hwy 93, which goes through Kalispell.  But, more importantly it goes very close to the National Bison Range (near St. Ignatius, MT).  There is a nineteen mile dirt road loop through this sanctuary and we enjoyed every foot of it - 3-1/2 hours!   We saw lots of bison, pronghorn antelope, deer, birds, flowers and wide open country. Wonderful!  Here are just a few pictures from the several hundred that I took and Ruth Powers is willing to let me copy her pictures into my laptop.  I hope I will eventually have them all in one album.  

 
This little bison was walking on the road.  We stopped, knowing that his mommy was close by and he walked over to her.  Probably saying "Those ladies are staring at me."

Several magpies were sitting on this perimeter fence just waiting to have their pictures taken.  Very hard to get a good image with a point and shoot camera when the bird is against the blue sky. 

 
Although we saw many wildflowers it is still early summer here.  Lupine (above) was very common as was Arrow-leafed Arnica.

This pronghorn antelope obligingly turned his back to show the (sort of) heart-shaped white bottom that is easily spotted from a distance.  Almost all the pronghorns were solitary, although those I have seen from the highway in past years were always in groups of three or more. 

 
Across the green rolling countryside are the snow capped mountains in Glacier National Park.  We hope that the current rainy weather moves on so we can visit Glacier early next week.

Ruth McDowell's class starts tomorrow 9:30am to 4pm for five days.  We are excited!