Red Lodge, Montana on the Fourth is about as American as you can get. Big parade with lots of horses and cars, underage teens getting tipsy at campgrounds, family picnics, a huge rodeo, dogs going crazy over the loud bangs, croquet and frisbee golf and the entire town gathering to watch the epic fireworks display.
I drove over to Red Lodge to visit my parents and surprise my little bro who flew in from ATL and wasn’t expecting me. We had a great time. It had been nearly two freakin years since we had all been together and it was fab. The trip had yet more surprises because my aunt and uncle (who also live in RL) and my cousins did not know about either my brother or myself. tada! Everyone oogled over my bug bump. My little niece (my cousin’s babe but niece none the less) is adorable and made me think that I am really going have one of these. And it is so cool that my bug and hers will be nine months apart.
Alice was my traveling companion. Andy couldn’t go. She swam and ran a lot with eight other canines at my aunt and uncle’s house. She has swimmer’s tail again, but this time I won’t be rushing her to the vet. A funny note about her swimmer’s tail: “swimmer’s tail” was the number one keyword search that led people to my blog in the first month. Here is a picture of what it looks like in hopes that people will not rush their doggies to the doc only to find out that little fido has a sore ass.
I ran in the heat with my aunt and her friend and it was hot and made me a bit nervous for my half marathon because it took me like two hours to cool off. I will have to be careful next weekend. We sat in my parent’s back yard and looked through the mini van-sized box of baby clothes that my mom has been hauling around for the last three decades.
It was 105 degrees in Missoula yesterday. I slept naked with no covers and was miserable. Andy and I had an art opening last night and it went well. It was also 105 degrees in the Ceretana Gallery. Good god that is entirely too hot. How on earth do people live in places like Vegas and Phoenix?Today I will be putting on my bikini and jumping in the river.
