September 12, 2005
Cody Camp
Cody, Wyoming

Well some days the bear bites you, and some days you bite the bear. But some days you bite the bear and then the bear bites you back. Today was such a day.

Had a great drive from Greybull into Cody. Countryside is truly amazing and as you approach Cody the Rocky Mountains come into view. True there was snow on them and that for told the next leg of the trip but magnificent never the less. I even got a good landscape of an old farm house on the way.

Arrived in Cody and set up camp and got directed to Mr. Marty MacLennan owner of Park County RV Inc.
244 N. Blackburn Avenue
Cody, Wyoming 82414
307-527-GORV (4678)
toll free- 866-627-4678
cell- 307-272-6558

His card reads Let the “RV DOC’ diagnose and repair your RV 15 years experience. Parts, Sales, Warranty work, mobile service, Factory Trained and Insurance Claims. And after meeting and working with him I am sure it is all true!

When you hit a strange town with no brakes it can be the start of a really bad day. Not if Marty is around! After he found out we were travelers and lived in our rig full time he went right to work and got us up and running . It did take a long time but only due to the amount of work that was needed. We ended up replacing both brake assemblies. The old ones had to be some 40 years old and should have been change out years ago. It’s amazing we got as much use out of them as we did.

As well as being a great RV guy Marty also made a superb subject and another portrait is in the can.

Meeting folks like Marty makes one feel good about a town and I gotta tell you this could be a great place to settle down at the end of the journey. The landscape and people could keep me busy for a good long while. Thanks Marty!

So now what, it’s late and we both are a bit disheveled- our camps the last few days have been dry- so no showers and I’ve spent the day being Marty’s assistant so to speak and we look a mess but what the heck it’s Cody, Wyoming they gotta be use to folks just off the trail so off to town we go. As we drove down the main street I noticed a photography gallery and swerved to a stop. Downtown Cody is a candy store for me as Heather so aptly remarked as we got out of the truck on mains street. Lots of stores with what looked like authentic Indian stuff and good Cowboy stuff and two photography gallery to boot.

Mr.Marty MacLennan

Farmhouse Wyoming

driving into Cody on HWY 14

September 10, 2005
Sibley Lake
Big Horn Mountains
Wyoming

Another great day out exploring but our 3 mile climb up and down the side of a serious mountain to Porcupine Falls has left us both sore and walking around like the old folks I am. The falls sure were worth the aches and pains. Beautiful deep pool under the falls and I’m sure it held some trophy trout. I think I made a good image of he falls and then did a detail of the moving water that has promise. We are both ashamed to say we will not go back to fish it. Now not because of the walk but the licenses cost so much…..

DMK shooting the falls (hay, is that Clint Eastwood?)

Some of Heathers’ art work gonna try to get her to let me post more

September 8, 2005
Sibley Lake
Big Horn Mountains
Wyoming

Big Mistake! The battlefield was totally depressing. Even thought The Ranger gave a very informative talk that favored the Native American history of the battle, even bring Sitting Bull’s words (see below) into the talk it was all too sad thinking about how and why the battle happened. Then to add insult to injury as we were leaving we had to jump on I-90 for a short stretch and low and behold it ran right smack through the middle of what was the Indian Encampment.
Our spirits lifted though as the Big Horns drew near and we started to climb up into some of the most beautiful mountains. First scraggly pastures with lost of rocks, then small groups of old weathered pine trees giving way to more and more rolling hills slowly turning into mountains. The weathered pines turned into proud Lodge Pole Pines and we were into the Big Horns. The mountains are softer than the Rockies with dense Pine forests and high pasture land. Flowing through out our great rivers, The Little Big Horn, The Tongue and Shell Creek to name a few. Looks like great trout fishing waters to me. Although there are signs by many of the river stops warning you that the water has bacteria and should not be drunk no warnings about eating the fish however but one has to wonder. By the end of the day had made two strong images ad am looking forward to tomorrow.

by Sitting Bull

Heather at Greasy Grass Memorial

heading into the Bighorns’

along HWY 14

high Bighorn Pasture

detail high Bighorn Pasture

top of hill

dmk shooting top of hill

looking DOWN the hill

Sky

September 7, 2005
Kamp Katie
Jordan Montana
AFTERNOON

Awoke to wild turkeys in the yard!

Spent a wonderful morning with May Billing who owns Kamp Katie. Katie was her Mom and when it was time for the kids to start school Katie moved into town, from the family ranch, and started Kamp Katie. Now May runs the place in the summer and lives out on the ranch in the winter. The ranch is about 30 miles from town and May is doing it all on her own since her husband died. She had so many great stories about growing up in the area and how things use to be. She was a reported for the local paper and has written many articles on life in and around the Jordan farming community. She shared one of her many photo-writing albums with us. So many thoughts about the land and the folks who homesteaded there. We heard about PeePee Butte which was a must stop on their way to Mile City. Guess why… We passed PeePee Butte and found it all fenced and cross fenced in- besides today you could of gotten a ticket for using PeePee Rock.

She spoke so much about the old days and even though it was a lot harder it was so much better. The quality of life was what was what was important. Family, Life, Land and Spirit. There was always enough to get by or a neighbor who would help to tide you over.

Progress for May didn’t seem all that important and for all intent and purposes she is living much the way she did all her life on the Montana Plains.

welcome to Kamp Katie

Wake up call

Henry is awake and ready to go

Kamp Katie

May Billing at her kitchen table

Heather and May looking over her books

forward a page from May’s book

an open letter a page from May’s book

udate a page from May’s book

where I shot Mays’ Portrait

September 5, 2005
Westby Town Camp
Westby, Montana

Crossed the state line as dusk set in and found a great little camp site in the town park. Free electric, water and site. Can’t beat that! As we drove into town the sign said “Westby a town with heart”. There is some truth in advertising even today. So nice to fine a place that welcomes travelers, without asking anything in return.
As HWY 5 runs just below the Canadian Boarder it goes trough all sort of old North Dakota towns Most of the towns are just off the highway along the railroad tracks and were rail heads for the grain farmers. The towns were places 7 miles apart. Clyde, North Dakota was one. When the school closed in the late 60’s the town dried up and now has a population of 4 folks. Made a few good images here. Another town was Langdon, where we photographed the Roxy Theater and then on through Allcabo, North Dakota. Allcabo had a great old school house. The school has been closed for many years and the town is near deserted, sitting way out n the plains but some of the town folks have kept the building up. The school sitting up on a hill overlooking the town and there is a sign in the front door window that says the door is open but sticks a little, please come in and look around. Inside the school is as it was in the ’50 , complete with basketball in the gym. The piano still sits in the music room along with a tuba and a few French horns. One room has old yearbooks and much memorabilia spread out on the desks for you to see. There are still safe places in american where folks trust one another and you don’t lock your doors at night.

Downtown Fortuna North Dakota

North Dakota and the road goes on forever

The Roxy

Help the road may not go on forever

But for a bit longer there’s diesel in the tank

Road to Writing Rock, North Dakota

Alcabo School House

Music Room Alcabo School House