10/3/2015
Little specks of rain drifted in my field of view. The water molecules landed on my face and tingled my senses. I was glad we were moving along because the temperatures were dropping by the minute. I was lucky my road to Anaconda was only 24 miles. My route was a bit curvy at the beginning. I started off on a trail that followed Blacktail Creek. This tiny stream was the beginning of the Columbia River. I followed the river for many miles until Crystal pulled up next to me and offered me lunch.
The stove provided us with a little bit of warmth on our short lunch break. When I returned to the road the winds started to gust. I hated running against wind but I had no other choice. My shoes dug into the dirt and rocks and I pushed on. As I neared my destination, I saw a hilly fenced in property with many heads of cattle. The colors were mixed which I found to be a bit unusual. Even more peculiar was the sight of the deer playing with the cows. They frolicked around the bovine creatures and bounced around in the property. I couldn’t help but wonder if those deer were pets.
That was my final turn before making a dash towards the main road. Crystal was unable to take the same road so I had to call her from the other side. We reached the Hickory House Bed and Breakfast pretty early. We did our best to avoid the impending storm. Just after we settled into our room, dark clouds covered all traces of sunlight. We made a couple bowls of soup and noodles to warm our insides.
The next morning the comforting scent of hash browns and eggs entered our room and pulled us out of bed. A group of ladies on a retreat joined us at breakfast. We took a few minutes to converse and sign books but then we had to hit the road. Despite the low mileage ahead, the day was not inviting. Snowflakes began to fall the moment I set foot on the path. It was a dirt road that led to some pavement. The frontage road ran along the freeway for most of the day. The snow fell a little harder before ending. I just kept my eyes on the steps ahead and I demanded speed from my legs. I worked up a sweat with the heavy layers of clothing trapping my body heat. It wasn’t until I reached the outskirts of Deer Lodge that I took a breather. At that time my wet clothes turned into a sheet of ice. I asked for a last push from my legs and made it to the Travel Lodge. Crystal had already checked in and she had the heater blasting.
The last thing I wanted to do was leave our little sanctuary. But, both Crystal and I had roaring appetites. We hadn’t snacked since breakfast and that was a few hours earlier. We decided to go to the Pizza Hut in town and see if they wouldn’t mind providing us with a pizza. They didn’t hesitate to agree. Crystal and I ventured away from our usual ordering habits and tried some new seasoning and spices on our pizza. The spices warmed the chill in our bodies.
We returned to the hotel satiated. I was about to run a bath when I heard noise resonating from the ceiling. It sounded as if two football teams were playing above us. It turned out a couple of kids had been left with baby sitters and they were allowed to run amuck. Fortunately for us, the staff moved us to the second floor. The sound of silence was beautiful. It was time for a hot bath.
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