Bump in the road

I got goosebumps. I can't tell you exactly where I was so inspired other than it was upon cresting a hill and beholding the expanse beyond. Montana is showing more beauty with every mile. The Crazy Mountains, Helena National Forrest made our path today. I don't have the photographic equipment, skill, or time on the road to capture all that I'd like, but plenty of pictures are being taken and being posted on the FCBA Facebook page and by others linked to that page that are participating.

I've taken to collecting sage. I first fell in love with the herb while attending a Native American pow-wow years ago, where they were burning it with tobacco mixed in. That is a ritualistic offering, but sage is used for another ritual of cleansing one's home of spirits and such. These are pagan practices, of course, and I'd link to the process here, but a quick search hasn't produced desirable information. Personally, I simply use it as incense, for I enjoy the aroma.

So I have sage from Little Big Horn, and White Mountain. I don't think there is a whole lot of difference in any of them; they are simply a weed that grows all over the place at elevations of 3000+ feet (just my observation- something else to look up), and the cattle don't eat it, or much else I suppose, so I don't think they'll miss it. I've tried to grow it at home, but the Florida environment isn't quite to its liking.

We are in Townsend, MT. One of our riders brother came to visit and took a few of us out to lunch, and then took us to the grocery store to have us fill a cart with supplies. We eat everything in sight. Today's ride was estimated over 3,000 calories, so added to regular intake that's a lot of food. As a matter of fact, the Townsend United Methodist Church is preparing dinner right now, so I have to go. I'm writing from the public library, the only internet available to us, and they close in an hour. We are pretty isolated in our own little world out here on the road, and I really like it that way. I saw a newspaper two days ago and things aren't getting much better out there. I don't follow much more news than a few Facebook posts I have time for, and then I pull my head back into my shell. I can't do anything about any of it. I can do something here, so I think I'll post this and get to it.