Am now back in Great Falls, the richer by 2 small agates (one sent home with Dad for polishing) and numerous memories.  We stopped by the Blackfoot river on the way up, and spent half an hour or so 'stretching our legs'.  ie: wandering the gravel bars of the river looking for rocks!  Whee.

Dad and I listened to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the way over; I think rock hunting would fit right in.  Possibly under Strange Rituals.  "... consists of people walking silently around a pebbly plain, staring at their feet.  Occasionally, they bend over to pick something up, look at it, and throw it away again..."

I was wishing the whole way over that we'd thought how brilliant an idea it would have been to drive the truck and bring Mom and Dad's new kayaks!  When you have a kayak in mind, there is water everywhere!  Nearly...  There was certainly water all over the place on our road, begging to be paddled through.  However, it's a good thing we didn't, because the trip would have taken much longer, and not nearly so much would have gotten accomplished.

From 68 (and damp) to 86 (and dry)... I am finally warm.  Clearly, I have finally lived out in MT and WY long enough to get used to the weather - this is the first time I remember going home and being cold.  In the summer!!  Being too hot is a far more common occurrence in my life.