Doug's Missoula Lifestyle Montana Living

Full Speed Ahead! Writing the Novel

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:02:00 +0000

First of all, I am happy to report that my internet speed is back to normal. After conducting a two-hour PC scan and finding nothing wrong, I went to my DSL modem's URL site and saw that my speed was only about twenty percent of what I am accustomed to (and paying for)!

I performed a "reboot" of the modem (I could have simply cut the power and turned it back on it seems). Speed is back to normal at 7 MB/sec and we are happy campers again.

Progress on my novel for National Novel Writing Month is AHEAD of the power curve, with my Friday writing of nearly 6,000 words carrying me all the way until Monday. Our goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days so that is an average of 1667 words per day. I do NOT want to fall behind, because catching up again is really, REALLY difficult!

So, no novel writing this weekend. In fact, my spouse and I are organizing our paperwork, bills, insurance papers and other "official" stuff so we have it all in one place. Why does it take ten years of marriage to finally get around to doing this?

PROCRASTINATION, BABY! It's like writing a novel.

Slow Internet Speeds while Writing a Novel too.

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:45:00 +0000

My Internet connection is incredibly slow today.

It doesn't seem to matter which browser I use, IE, Firefox, Chrome, they are all bogging down. I depend on the Internet for doing research, and that bogs me down in general.

So it is with my Novel. I am bogging down here too, and just six days into National Novel Writing Month. I looked for some feedback and was not happy with the result. Another problem is that I moved my story along too fast, or just lacked enough material. The result is that I am, more or less, nearing the end of the story that I had planned to write, but 37,000 words short of the needed 50,000. (You can see what I am talking about at the National Novel Writing Month website.

I won't be writing this weekend, but instead will do a lot of thinking about how I can re-construct my story and characters to save this book.

And I need to figure out why my internet connection is so slow. Every once in a while some virus or pirate program slips through and hijacks my computer, I think, and so my computer is being used without my knowledge to spread bad stuff all over the internet.

So, after I post this I will bring up my Norton, and my PC tools, and do a complete scan. What a pain.

But I guess pencil and paper was a pain too.

Michael Jackson's This is it! is a big hit!

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:16:00 +0000

This is It! has earned over a million dollars, Worldwide, in the first five days since opening. The United States audiences have pushed This is It! to the top for this past weekend.

I went to see This is It! on Sunday afternoon. Our theater was nearly deserted, and that surprised me.

I doubt that the film will garner the huge audience that some people expected, although a $20 million weekend is not bad. Not bad at all.

I just don't believe the film has the appeal to draw repeat views in theaters.

If and when the film is released in DVD it should be a big hit. People will want this little piece of history to keep. Perhaps the DVD would be even bigger than the theater showing.

I've never watched so much Michael Jackson in my entire life! Right here in one view I saw him perform virtually all of his greatest hits, albeit in rehearsal, and sometimes with costume changes cutting in and cutting out, but it was pretty seamless.

The back stage "look" that we are afforded does provide a glimpse into the complexities of putting together a stage production like this. Every step over every dancer is marked. There are no individual hand movements that are not pre-set and rehearsed. The music is terrific. Each "Beat" and tempo is repeated until it meets Michael's standard. He was a perfectionist, yet he shows a lot of patience with his producers, musicians, singers, dancers and technical staff.

There is a lot of love in this film. I enjoyed it and am certain we will also buy a DVD, of course!

National Novel Writing Month Kicks Off November 1st

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Here is a fun and challenging project to tackle: write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. No editing, no re-writes, just fast and furiously pounding away on the keyboard, averaging 1667 words per day!

November is National Novel Writing Month, sponsored by the non-profit Office of Letters and Light.

I am participating this year. I have a plot, a main character, and a setting. Now I must make the words flow....lots of dialog that I am certain will need a lot of editing....but that will be for December (and many months thereafter).

NaNoWriMo, as it is known, also sponsors a Young Writers Program, with hundreds of schools participating in this event.

If you complete the 50,000 words, you win! There are no prizes, just a certificate that says you are a Winner! Then the difficult re-writes begin.

Several NaNoWriMo authors have successfully published their work, inluding Sara Gruen, who wrote Water for Elephants.

I encourage you to participate. Just sign up at the website and join a regional support group. We even have local group here in Missoula who meet up at Liquid Planet on Higgins Avenue, Sundays at 2 pm. Join us!

Real Horror Beyond Halloween

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:47:00 +0000

The real horror in the world transcends any frivolity attached to Halloween. Human famine in Africa and elsewhere claims far more lives than war.

Selling human bones, including skulls, for use in religious ritual, has plagued humanity for hundreds of years. Skulls are used as drinking vessels; and thigh bones as musical instruments.

The human race continues to destroy itself as well as the planet it inhabits, destroying other forms of animal and plant life as well. The planet Earth, and all its live forms: DOOMED.

Puppy Chowdown Time. It's Plastic!

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000

What am I going to do? This pup just chews anything plastic, wood, rubber, vinyl or DIRT!

She also managed to "dig" and 'chew" a big hole in unfinished dry wall in the garage kennel area. She dug it down to the stud. I noticed she was coughing and hacking when I returned home. Yes, gypsum chalk is difficult to swallow. Yesterday I bought a METAL water dish. I can nail it down to a board so she can't tip it over or play with it. Or eat it.

She is only 31 pounds and 18 months old and I am really happy that she won't get any bigger. She is normally a picture of innocence; but does not like to be left at home alone.
Sometimes I think there must be more than one of her whizzing around the house and yard, but she is just a whirlwind of a girl and we are fortunate to have her. Just have to stop leaving her home alone.

Autumn Harvest Festivals in Montana

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Football season is here and the Farmers' Markets are closing down, but there are Harvest Festivals to attend.

Sometimes called Octoberfest, or OktoberFest, these events bring local folks together with visitors from all over to enjoy the fruits of the late autumn harvests, particularly apples, pumpkins and other squash, plus the pies, the rhubarb, the wonderful baked goods that our Moms still make!

Find a harvest festival near you and enjoy this special time of year.

Montana Festival of the Book Oct 22-24, 2009

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:14:00 +0000

The Montana Festival of the Book will bring together the region’s finest writers to celebrate reading and writing in one of the Inland Northwest’s biggest cultural events.

For the 10th consecutive year, Missoula's Festival of the Book will showcase Montana literary lifestyles over two days and three nights of events.

Here is a link to the 2009 Complete Schedule of Events (pdf).

Approximately 100 authors are on the schedule, with most of the readings and workshops at no cost. This event is sponsored by Humanities Montana, and is one of the most successful book festivals in the United States.

There will be a special tribute to recently-deceased Missoula author James Crumley at 3:00 pm Oct 22, entitled “The Last Good Kiss: An Appreciation of James Crumley,” moderated
by Michael Koepf, with Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, Laura Lippman and James Grady, at the the Wilma Theatre.

Crumley passed away in September 2008. Here is a link to an article that appeared on this blog at that time: Farewell to James Crumley-storyteller

Of particular note will be "An Evening with writer-humorist David Sedaris" on Friday evening at 7 pm in the Wilma Theatre. This is a ticketed event.

In the PINK Zone

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Saturday's Breast Cancer Awareness event at the University of Montana Grizzly game was a big success, as this Missoulian article attests. We were all in the Pink, with cheerleaders hoisting pink pom-poms and the team mascot, Monte, sporting a white shirt with pink number "00."

It was really nice to see all the pink on display during the Sunday Night Football on NBC, with the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons players and coaches wearing pink gloves, wristbands, ribbons, etc.; even the Officials participated in the Pink.

So many of our friends and relatives have been affected with breast cancer in the past five years or so, it just seems like it is getting worse instead of better.

We have a long way to go in defeating breast cancer, but awareness and monetary contributions are the first steps.

Officially, the Pink Zone is the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) annual breast cancer awareness campaign, which you can check out at the Pink Zone links.

Fight Breast Cancer This Weekend and Every Weekend

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

According to the American Cancer Association, breast cancer ranks #1 in estimated new cases of all cancers diagnosed in America. This equates to 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Each weekend when the University of Montana Grizzly Stadium fills up (25,500), that equates to over 3,000 people affected with this disease. With your help we can raise awareness and funding for this very important cause.
Wear Pink to the game!

University of Montana Football Grizzlies

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:07:00 +0000

The University of Montana Grizzlies, with a 5-0 record this season, are ranked #3 nationally, as they host the Eagles from Eastern Washington University on Saturday, October 17.

Montana is 2-0 in the Big Sky Conference and is the only undefeated team in the league. Eastern Washington, 4-2 overall, is coming off a loss at home to Weber State last Saturday. EWU is ranked #21 nationally.

We could be in for a really good competitive game. The Eagles have enjoyed as much success at Montana as anyone in the Big Sky. They would like nothing more than to be the spoiler in the Grizzlies' drive to the League Title.

Game time at Washington Grizzly Stadium is 1:05 PM, Mountain Time.

UPDATE on Water Well Pump Failure

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:08:00 +0000

The PUMP service guy discovered an electrical short at the pump connection (125 feet down) at bottom of well. He assured me that this was FAR more preferable than having electrical problems between the well and the control unit in the basement! That would involve trenching and cutting through concrete, etc!

As it was, the TIME INVOLVED in raising the pump to the surface and replacing a portion of bad feed wire, then lowering it again, is about the same as replacing the pump; HOWEVER, the cost was much less. Three hours at $60/hour plus $7.50 in materials, so only $187.50!

Since I had been fearful of a $900 expense, $187.50 seemed like good news. Best of all, we have water for flushing, laundry, showers, and dishes, all of which had been delayed.

By the way, we did have a few gallons of bottled water....so when I had *HAD* to flush a toilet, I poured 22 of the 24 little bottles of water into the toilet tank. That gives me some idea of how much water we flush down the toilet every DAY!

Water Well Pump Failure means NO WATER

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:36:00 +0000

Unpleasant surprise this morning when there was NO WATER pressure. Flushed the toilet and NO REFILL! Crap.

Found a blown fuse in the electrical service pump shut off box. Drove 8 miles to ACE Hardware and bought a box of four for $14.99. Replaced fuse, turned on power and BAM! Fuse blows again!

Called PUMP Service man who replaced our pump a few years ago. He says perhaps the capacitor in the control unit is bad. Drive 13 miles to his shop, pick up replacement control unit to test theory. Replaced control unit, replaced fuse (again), turned on power and BAM! Fuse blows again!

Call PUMP Service man again. He will come out tomorrow and check for ground faults and shorts, I think they are nearly the same thing. If he has to replace the well pump...125 feet down...that will cost $900. He doesn't take credit cards.

I will let you know what happens. P.S. Called wife at work...please bring home a few gallons of water, dear. Oh, and we might have to spend $900 tomorrow. Bye.

Red Wave Middle School Band withdrawn from homecoming parade

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

NOTE: UM Grizzlies beat Cal-Poly 35-23 in victorious Homecoming week. Montana is now 5-0 during 2009 season.

I think it's appropriate that the Missoula County Schools Fine Arts Director, John Combs, took the unusual step of withdrawing all three county high school bands and the middle school band, the Red Wave, from this year's University of Montana Homecoming Parade.

Parade time temperatures are forecast to be in the teens, at best, and the hazards to the kids outweigh the arguments I'm certain that many of the kids will express. Frozen toes, frozen fingers, frozen instruments....we don't need to add to so many other problems that cold weather brings by deliberately placing our children at risk.

Kudos to Mr. Combs for stepping up and taking responsibility and "making the call."

Missoula Red Wave Marching Band

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:46:00 +0000

This is Homecoming weekend at the University of Montana in Missoula, and the homecoming parade is an event that involves hundreds of Missoulians. We look forward to this day when we can come out and see the football team, the cheerleaders, the marching bands....even the grandkids marching in the Red Wave! This is a photo from the 2008 Homecoming parade, when the weather was pretty good, beautiful in fact.
Colder temperatures this weekend will put a damper on this year's Parade. Friday overnight low is predicted to be 8 degrees!

Can you imagine all the youngsters in the Red Wave band lined up Saturday morning waiting to begin the parade? How COLD they will be! Better dress for hunting season, kids, and watch out for freezing your lips to the horns. Wear gloves too. Who cares if you hit all the notes?

The HIGH temperature for Saturday is forecast at 34 degrees. That should make for an unpleasant welcome for the visiting football team from Cal Poly. They won't have enough time to adjust to the weather and their California metabolisms will overload on protein and they will be sluggish and sleepy and pooped out by the Second Quarter, hopefully. Go GRIZ!

Doug Photo from the Footlocker 1981

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:10:00 +0000

Sometimes, just for the heck of it, we remember what we looked like 28 years ago. What a baby face I was as a new Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, assigned to the Aircraft Carrier, USS RANGER CV-61.

Motor Home Malaise

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:07:00 +0000

I thought I was doing all the preventative stuff I needed to do for the 18-year-old Class "A" motor home we bought last year.

I took care to have an oil change, tuneup, new spark plug wires, air and fuel filters, hose and belt checks, lubes, etc., you know all the routine stuff.

But motor homes present a different situation from, say, a pickup truck or van. It is a house on wheels, and there are SO many "systems" that we feel like we are driving on thin ice, so to speak, every time we take it out.

The biggest and most expensive repair this summer was the automatic transmission. The second gear "band" snapped. $860.

The next problem that "just wouldn't go away" was the Onan Generator. Again, keeping in mind that it is original equipment from 1991, the darn thing kept "surging" and would not run steady enough to provide "stable" current to run the air conditioner (or the microwave). The generator had not been "exercised" enough to keep it clean, and old gasoline breaks down and will create a hard "varnish" that prevents proper operation. (The salesman had pitched the Generator's low number of operating hours as a "positive" when in fact, it was a negative. Exercising an Onan Generator only 88 hours in 17 years is a recipe for carburetor failure.) The Onan GenTech told me to run the generator every month for an hour or so during the months we don't use it, and, run it with an electrical "load" on it. $368.

Oh, and a week after the carb was replaced the generator wouldn't start. It was flooded out due to the choke being too rich a mix. At least that adjustment was free.

The refrigerator would not operate in LP gas mode, although it worked fine on electrical modes. A visit to the dealership and a quick clean out repair to the "sooted up combustion chamber" and it works now. $89. (This charge included an LP gas "system" check, so that could have been a safety issue.)

I keep discovering new idiosyncrasies about this motor home that are NOT in any of the manuals. Operating a motor home seems to be a system of "trial and error," or "learning by doing."

Like mice. They will crawl up the tires and into the motor area...somehow finding their way into the cabinets. Icky.

Things will leak. Little snappy things will pop off or break. We have to worry about LP gas system, furnace, oven, range top, microwave, sewer, water pump, hot water heater, refrigerator, direct current from batteries, an electrical AC/DC "inverter" or "converter" thing that makes noise and we can't find it. Oh, and by the way, the plumbing system needs to be "winterized" so the weather up here in Montana doesn't destroy it.

I also bought a big "COVER" for last winter, but it didn't make it through to spring without several little rips, right on the edge of the roof, so DUCT Tape came in handy. I don't know what we will do this year, perhaps buy just a top cover, but that is over $300 too.

Mimi's Lemon-Apple-Ginger Dressing

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:37:00 +0000

We've not done this before, but I am going to share a recipe for a home-made salad dressing that Sharon makes for us that I think is better for us than most any store-bought salad dressing, and certainly tastes better than those "spritzers" that are on the market now.

Here is our recipe, which I have named, "Mimi's Lemon-Apple-Ginger dressing:"

Into a blender, place

One apple, quartered, with peel but no seeds

One cup lemon juice,

¼ cup olive oil,

½ cup water,

1or 2 Tablespoons of Tamari or regular soy sauce,

Ginger root, finely grated,

(Peel first, and use a piece about the size of your thumb)

8 packets of Splenda (or another brand)

Blend on “liquefy” or highest setting, about 30-45 seconds.

Note: This makes about ¾ of a blender full.

Store in glass jar in refrigerator.

Shake before serving as this mixture will settle and separate somewhat.

The sweetness can be adjusted by amount of Splenda, obviously.

Variation:

1-Use Pear instead of apple. Or, use half and half or some other ratio to suit your taste.

Pear will mellow out the flavor some, reducing the lemon tartness, if that is preferred.

2-Use 1/4 cup of honey instead of Splenda. We used to use honey but there are so many calories...

I guess a person could use Stevia instead of Splenda, but add just a little at a time and keep tasting to find your preferred sweetness. It may add a bit of licorice flavor, but I’ve never tried Stevia in this dressing.

If you decide to try this, let us know what you think of it.

End of Summer Color

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:00:00 +0000

This is probably the last photo of the summer flowers (there is a tomato plant up there too). I have really enjoyed taking care of these little bits of brightness on an otherwise blah and colorless sort of deck.

Autumn will bring its own color, of course, but for these flowers, death is just around the corner. I expect frost next week. Watering doesn't accomplish must after the first good freeze. We were very fortunate to have a pretty wet summer here in western Montana, so a minimum of wildfires and a maximum of vegetation growth. We also are well aware that the big vegetation growth this past summer means lots of fuel for next summer's wildfire season.

The window at top center is my office where all the thinking is done. Sometimes there are thoughts put into words too.

Pet Medicine and Treatments Expensive Too

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:32:00 +0000

I had my teeth cleaned last week, $152, which included the annual x-rays and having the dentist do an exam.

I had my DOG's teeth cleaned today, $168, which included a pre-anesthesia blood test ($36), which is advisable for older dogs. (Our Lab-Rottweiler cross is 9 years old. That's retirement age in dog years, for a big dog like this.

After the sticker shock at paying more for teeth cleaning for a pet than for myself, I realized that anesthesia is pretty serious business, and don't begrudge the veterinarian his fees. Our big guy came out of there pretty groggy, and will require some supervision for the next 12 hours or so.

When I was a kid, we NEVER took our dogs to the vet. Dogs lived until they died of old age. No teeth cleaning or immunizations either, in my memory. I think it was when I was a teenager that rabies shots became a requirement for dogs. If a dog or cat got sick enough that recovery was doubtful, they were simply put down. And back in the 1950's and 1960's, we did it ourselves. No trip to the vet.

Time certainly can change our perceptions. Dogs used to be work dogs, not family members, which is how our pets are treated. In my teen years, dogs slept outside, lucky if they had a shelter other than the barn, which wasn't all that bad, I guess. Nowadays, dogs usually sleep inside at night, at least City dogs do. Some even sleep in beds. Some sleep with their owners.

I still think dogs should sleep on the floor, not in a bed. Time doesn't change ALL perceptions.

Four Reasons I LIKE the END of Montana Summer

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:32:00 +0000

First, I look forward to the end of summer weather because that means the end of lawn mowing, which eats up about 8 hours a week during the growing season. I can winterize my irrigation system and not think about watering, mowing, or fertilizing until next spring. Lovely.

Secondly, I look forward to autumn because school is back in session and so the tourists have pretty much gone home for the year. The exceptions are aging baby boomers and, since I am one, I have a great deal of new-found tolerance for this age group. Anyway, the streets and highways are not nearly so crowded, nor are the fishing streams, campgrounds, parks and other local attractions.

Third, or thirdly, I love the smell of football in the air. The University of Montana Grizzlies may OWN Saturday afternoons, but Friday Night Lights are still a big thing in Montana, and draws a HUGE crowd. High School football is still the primary team spectator sport in Montana between September and November. The Grizzlies are sort of like our PRO team, and high school teams are the "locals."

Fourth(ly), summer television really is for the birds; no wonder no one watches. The new Fall Season kicks off in September of each year and we can get back to our couches for nightly 7 pm to 10 pm kickback time. Reality Shows are cheap to produce and seem to draw big audiences, so this year we have So You Think You Can Dance, The Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, and The Amazing Race, ALL beginning new seasons. These are just off the top of my head, I think there are also some cooking competition shows too. there may be even more on the "premium" channels, to which we do not subscribe. You see, in our house, reality TV seems to rule the roost. I know I don't.

First Day of College in 1969

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I can hardly think of any words to go with this.

Just out of the Navy, 1969, and off to skwuel as a college freshman. Look at that SUIT! Three-piece! A vest! Even in 1969, I was the only "kid" wearing a SUIT on the first day of school. Some of the students didn't even wear shoes.

I don't recall which word would have been used by the college women to describe me back in 1969. Pick one.

This picture looks like it could have been taken in 1949. The car, by the way, is my 1963 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible, canary yellow, four-on-the-floor, 390 cubic inch displacement. Hot.

I bought this car from Pete's Auto Sales in Great Falls, Montana, in 1968, while home on leave from the Navy, and then drove it to Jacksonville, Florida. Three months later I drove it to Norfolk, Virginia, and six months after that I drove it back to Montana.

Corn Bread In Cast Iron Skillet

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:03:00 +0000

This is "CAMP OUT" corn bread!

My lovely camp-out Wife put this together, adding some corn kernals from fresh cobs right out of Benson's Missoula Farm, plus a little "sharp" cheddar cheese and VOILA!

The corn bread is fairly thin, only about one inch in thickness, and this keeps it pretty crunchy, like eating the top of a muffin....only better. We had it with home-made soup, also prepared while camping.

Other than a little fly fishing, my primary enjoyment in camping is savoring the cooking that my wife somehow accomplishes in a little RV kitchen and on a Coleman propane stove.

We love a good campfire, and, of course, sometimes cook out on the fire too. Last weekend I fried a trout out on the campfire...the dogs enjoyed that too.

Walking the Line Feeding the Horses

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:37:00 +0000

I just liked the way this scene lays out. The photos are from Moon River Arabians horse ranch near Missoula, Montana.

Below is the same photo, capturing the full scene from afar.

Beavertail Hill State Park and Camping Site

dkueffler@gmail.com (Doug Kueffler) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:42:00 +0000

(Clicking on photos will open much larger size views)

Just 25 miles east of Missoula on Interstate 90 lies Beavertail Hill State Park and Campground. We have visited this campground three times this past summer and had wonderful experiences with the great Montana outdoors every visit. Above is a photo of our campsite along the Clark Fork River. We think we had the "best" space, #9, with a big grassy area right next to the river.

Below is a photo taken from a hiking trail across the river. The motor home is mostly obscured by trees. Great spot, huh?
And below is our morning view from the passenger side seat of the motor home. God, it was great! (Clicking on photos will open much larger size views)
There is a one-mile hiking path that encircles the campground area, but the park itself is about 40 acres in size. We encountered a wild turkey along the path this weekend. He was all alone, which I thought was unusual.

I also heard, and then witnessed a BEAVER swimming alongside a little island in the middle of the Clark Fork River. This guy was swimming upstream and SLAPPING his tail on the water with a resounding "WHACK!" that must have been audible from a very long way off. I stood perfectly still, standing about twenty feet away from him, with my fly rod in hand, while he made several trips upstream and back. I finally lost sight of him when he went underwater again, and so I continued to work the water for trout.

I caught Bull Trout, which are mandatory "catch and release" in the Clark Fork, but I didn't realize there were so many of them.