We didn’t get up quite as early on Monday as we had on earlier days. We went out for breakfast at the Western Cafe on Main Street. We had one last great meal of good times with each other where Andrew was part of the group. Then we all hugged him and he drove away. It took longer for the six of us to get into two cars than for Andrew to get himself into one, but then we drove away too. We all suspected that Andrew also got where he was going that day well before we got home to Denver but that hasn’t been confirmed. The weather wasn’t as nice going home as it was for the trip up, but the sun was much less aggressive coming in the windows so we had that going for us.
We often focus on the location of a good time when almost certainly it’s the participants that make it memorable. Just to acknowledge that the place plays a role here is the physical setting and home base of our good time in Bozeman. Through the backdoor we could see a well landscaped backyard and some very welcoming common area. Our last night in Bozeman, we grilled steaks on this deck. We enjoyed the sun while they were grilling, and then we retreated inside as the temperature dropped a bit.
Entry and Exit
Entry
It sure felt good to find the place as we worked our way into Bozeman. And, to a lesser extent, it felt good to get back here every time we went away. That first time, we had to find the lockbox to get the key that would let us in. If you look sharp -and are willing to believe – you can just see it below the handrail just to the left of the first post.
Real hospitality, Serving and Protecting Bozeman’s visitors
Something that struck Steve funny every time he saw it was the Sheriff’s vehicle parked out front. It seemed to be there in the morning and stay all day and then leave sometime in the evening, just when Steve was starting to feel safe.
Common Living Areas
After coming through the door, we usually chose to walk down the hall to the living area. As you might see, neither the stairs, nor the hall were particularly good for two-way traffic, but we worked it out cooperatively without the help of the driver of that Sheriff’s vehicle. After the hall, if you weren’t Bernhard and Cheryl (who had the option of turning right into their bedroom, one turned left and had the choice heading to the living area or the kitchen, either one would give you access to the dining table, the laundry area and the back deck.
From the Hall into the Living Room
Hall and stairs from the front door
Kitchen
Laundry Area and door leading to the garage
Andrew discussing plans with Cheryl and Bernhard while Cayla looks on
Garage
Dell and Andrew enjoying a rare bit of downtime in the Living Room
Bedrooms
There were two bedrooms up and two down. One bedroom down stairs had a window that you see in the photo of the front of the house. The door is at the base of the stairs. There is a half bath about the halfway point of the hallway. The door to the other bedroom downstairs is at the living area end of the hall and it runs front to back along the length of the house and is really a suite, containing a full bath and a walk in closet (There was generous closet space in each room). Upstairs, there were two bedrooms and a full bath. Special attention needs to be focussed on the room with two single beds because there was no other room with a moose on the bed – or , for that matter, with a moose on the sheets!
Master Bedroom
Steve and Andrew’s room
Moose
Moose close up
Details
There were little details in the decorations that made the house fun. There were many depictions of Moose. Not pictured are the Moose on the outside of the front door and the Moose over the backdoor on the inside. there were depictions of other animals as well.
Jonathan took some delight in pointing out that the paintings of the deer and the bison were from behind. He would point at the deer and say, “Buck butt!” and at the bison and say, “Buffalo Butt!”. We were grateful that the bear painting was of three bear faces.
Buffalo in the Kitchen
Buck
Three Bears
Moose Refrigerator notes
Moose Light
Upper level landing
Front door from the stairs
Small Moose Statue on a Shelf Over the Front Door
All in all, our house was a very, very, very fine house.
Long before we had finalized our plans to come and see Andrew for graduation, Andrew had made it clear that he saw no value in walking across the stage and accepting a blank sheet of paper from a highly regarded academic from Montana State University. That being established, we had a wide open day and no need to spend it getting grumpy with thousands of other well wishers. Andrew offered to show us some of the things he liked about his adopted home. He warned us that it wasn’t as clear as usual due to forest fires in Alberta, Canada.
First thing, at about 9 or 9:30, he directed us to Peets Hill, which, if we got it right, is part of Burke Park. There we feted the graduate with photos in various permutations so that when he described his graduation experience to his friends and – much later – to his heirs, he could get the necessary long-suffering tolerance of his familial responsibilities out into the air. Then we climbed some of the hill and greeted people and dogs going up and down. To Bozeman’s credit, most of them, people and dogs, were pleased and greeted us back. From the place that we stopped and turned around, Andrew pointed out the Field House where, but for his thoughtfulness and concern for our well being, we could have spent hours that day.
Father with Graduate
Grandfather, Brother and Mother with Graduate
Grandfather, Brother, Sister-in-Law, Mother and Father with Graduate
Really good looking bench near the top of Peets Hill
Path on Peets Hill
Field House from Peets Hill
From Burke Park we headed up past the ‘M’ on Bridger Canyon Road and into the Bridger Mountains, with a stop at the Bridger Bowl to acknowledge the skiing possibilities back in the winter and then up over the pass. We traveled down hill to Flat Head Creek Road which remained Highway 86 and followed that to Highway 89 which took us to I-90. We went east to Big Timber. Now, nowhere did we see massive trees in Big Timber. It may have been a problem of perspective since we were in Big Sky Country. We did find the Thirsty Turtle where a good time was had by all.
We returned back to the very fine house and had a Ceremony of Tribute to the Graduate complete with gifts from proud family members, yet without crowds or traffic jams.
On Friday our first big thing was to see a few properties that Andrew thought might help him make money. Part of what he has been studying while he has been in college is rent – as expense – and longingly thinking of it as income. Now that he has graduated and is reasonably confident of generating an income, he is casting about for ways to do so. All that ignores the impact of six more bodies on the Realtor on a Friday morning.
It took longer than we anticipated and there are no photos because we cannot claim to have helped any decisions about new places to live. From Steve’s point of view, the properties in Belgrade did not show as well as the properties in Bozeman. But then, Steve doesn’t have a dog in this hunt.
For dinner, Andrew took us to the Chi Alpha house, which played a large role in his college years. He roomed there his Sophomore year. Once he discovered the place his Freshman year, it became his study hall, his source for social activity and his spiritual anchor; it was his home in many ways. As Andrew explained it, the house hosted dinner to celebrate its graduating members and their families. It was a shame that we met so many of his friends so quickly; it proved impossible to remember their names.
Steve went to Bozeman and that wasn’t even the best part. Steve went to Bozeman to celebrate Andrew’s graduation from Montana State (go Bobcats). He went with a lot of Andrew’s family, like Dell, Bernhard, Cheryl, Jonathan and Cayla. The weather was fantastic on the drive up. In Casper, Wyoming, we had a picnic lunch.
Unfortunately, when talking about road trips through Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Central Montana, after you’ve said I-25 and I-90, there’s not a lot to say, except maybe that you wish the speed limit could be eighty all the way. Steve rode with Jonathon and Cayla and enjoyed listening to an audio version of James Herriot‘s “All Creatures Great and Small”. The company was great. Lunch was grand. The park in Casper was a fine place to stop.
