Assignment: Dog Town

I was so happy to see sunshine this morning as I left my pit stop in Bozeman, MT.  It was a bit windy, but rain was almost non-existent as I drove to my first destination of the day... Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park.  It didn't take very long to see prairie dogs...they were some right at the entrance of the park.

 

 

I quickly found out that the little critters are a bit shy when vehicles drive by or people are near.  I solved that problem by staying in the car and taking photos from there.  I got some pretty nice shots...they ARE cute!  I thought they looked more like prairie puppies rather than prairie dogs.  They are very chubby and bounce when they run!

 

My destination for the afternoon was Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  Originally, this park was known as Custer Battlefield National Monument.  But, the name was changed in 1991 to not only memorialize the U.S Army 7th Cavalry, but also the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians who fought to protect their families and their way of life.  It was pretty sobering seeing the headstones of the soldiers and warriors who fell in battle.  There was also a 7th Cavalry memorial on Last Stand Hill...where Custer lost his life.  On the flip side, the Indians also have a memorial with the names of warriors who fought and those who died in battle.

 

So, there MIGHT be a little rain tomorrow afternoon.  I may have to start out my day a bit earlier than my 7:00 am wake up.  I have high hopes for the free breakfast I'm supposed to get, though...

Journey back in time

Well, this morning's free breakfast at the Idaho Falls Sleep Inn wasn't quite as good as dinner last night, but it wasn't bad.  The cut up fresh fruit was a nice touch.  As I headed north on US 20, it rained on and off...not a good day for outdoor sightseeing.  So, I made it a museum day.  I visited a couple of them in Bozeman, MT.  The first was a historical museum housed in an old county jail built in 1911.  The Gallatin History Museum has exhibits on the county's colorful past, as well as the jail itself.  Before going inside, I spotted a couple of black-billed magpies on the sidewalk.  You can find them in eastern Washington, but not on the west side.

I found some of the artifacts in the museum rather interesting.  It makes you appreciate how we have progressed...or not.

 

The other museum I visited was the Museum of the Rockies, located on the campus of Montana State University.  This museum is one of the best in the country when it comes to dinosaur fossils.  They have a terrific collection of triceratops bones, and the exhibit emphasizes the science of dinosaurs, their origins and extinction.  The photos I have here are the real bones...not just casts of fossils.  Impressive!

 

Isn't that baby triceratops skull so...cute?  And, that last skull looks like it could have come from a sci-fi movie!  Well, it looks like the worst of the rain is over.  There might be a sprinkle tomorrow morning, but then clear skies for the rest of the day and the week, says the weather forecast. 

Craters Of The Moon revisited

I woke up this morning full of uncertainty.  I checked the weather forecasts on the internet and it said rain all day at last night's pit stop in Twin Falls, ID.  But, the area around my destination... Craters of the Moon National Monument...said cloudy and no rain.  What to do?  I decided to chance it and headed off to the park.  As I drove through rain, I was beginning to think I chose unwisely.  The closer I got to the park, though, the skies cleared and when I got there, it was fine.  I breathed a sigh of relief and made plans to check out the sights I missed when I visited last fall (see Rain, rain go away...).

At the Craters of the Moon visitor's center, I got a permit to check out the lava tubes, then headed out to the Tree Molds trail.  There was no one around as I hiked the two mile in and out trail.  It was a bit breezy and chilly...in other words, perfect for a walk.  

 

It's tough for vegetation to get a foothold in the lava rocks, but lichens can be found everywhere...on the rocks AND the trees! 

As I reached the tree molds area, a little sprinkle of rain came down.  My camera must have gotten a few drops on it because next thing I know, it's not working right.  I couldn't get the lens to open or close properly.  Thankfully, I had my backup camera with me.  The Lumix is old, but better than nothing.  I got my photo evidence of trees that were once embedded in the lava...and a red squirrel, too!

If I had my "good" Lumix, I would have gotten a lot better pic of that squirrel.  When I got back to the car, I tried to figure out what was wrong with it.  I thought warming the camera in front of the heater might work, since I thought it got wet.  It seems to work...briefly.  Then, I saw something strange.  It appeared the lens was getting hung up on something.  That something turned out to be a thin gasket, which somehow got pulled out by the lens and twisted.  Desperate to fix my camera...I managed to telescope the lens enough to remove the gasket.  And, it worked!  My lens could open and close freely again.  I know that gasket was probably there for a reason, but my vacation needs pictures, and getting that gasket out was worth the risk.

For the rest of the day, my camera worked fine, so all's good for now.  I was ready for lunch, but I decided it was best to see the lava tubes before the school kids I saw at the visitor center got there.  I skipped the Dewdrop and Boy Scout Caves because they looked a bit challenging, but tackled the Beauty Cave with flashlight in hand.

As I prepared to enter the large Indian Tunnel, I saw the school buses arrive in the parking lot.  Looks like I beat the hoards of children!  This lava tube is the largest in the park, and I didn't need a flashlight since there were multiple openings throughout.

 

After lunch, I did a couple of short hikes on paved trails.  The sun and blue skies were peeking through the clouds, which made my photos a little bit nicer.

 

The North Flow Crater trail had great examples of different types of lava formations.  I particularly liked the one that looks like twisted bark.  See if you know which one I'm talking about from these pics.  

 

I know, that's a lot of photos.  I'm just making up for the slim pickings the past couple of days.  Tomorrow, it looks like rain again, which might make it a good museum day...

Crack in the world

It's interesting how you get a different perspective on things when you're forced to look at a crack in your windshield all day long.  Actually, there was a movie back in the 60s called Crack In The World.  When I saw it growing up, it really stuck with me, despite its improbabilities.  Yesterday, when the crack manifested itself, it was about 8-9 inches long.  This morning, it appeared to grow about an inch overnight...not too bad.  But, I made it a WHOLE lot worse!  After filling up gas, I decided my windshield washing job wasn't good enough so I used my car's washer and wipers.  Bad idea!  Before I realized it, the crack almost doubled in size!  Ouch.  After a long day of driving, the crack grew maybe another inch.  I'm almost hating to see what the morning will bring.  Anyway, here's a pic of the damage so far.

As I stated before, I did a lot of driving today.  With rain on the horizon, I decided to skip my only activity in Boise and continue on to Shoshone Falls State Park in Twin Falls.  Yesterday, I saw one of the nicest falls in Washington, and today, I viewed the best in Idaho.  Although not at its peak volume, the falls are still quite picturesque.

I didn't see any animals yesterday, but at Shoshone Falls, there are rock doves.  Most people would call them pigeons, but in the wild, they are rock doves.  They seem to really like the water for some reason.  The specks you see next to the falls in the following photo are the birds.  All the doves seemed to be the same gray color, but I captured a brown one!

One interesting fact about Shoshone Falls was that in 1974, daredevil Evel Knievel attempted and failed to jump the Snake River near there in a rocket powered cycle.  I decided not to walk the trail to see the jump off point.  I did find a natural bridge overlooking the canyon, though.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to visit Craters Of The Moon National Monument.  I have visited this park in the past, but the weather was so lousy, I didn't see much.  There's rain in the forecast again, so I'm crossing my fingers. 

Road tripping with a rock magnet

I have never been so ready to go on a road trip.  I had my car packed to go yesterday morning...the earliest ever!  I'm very happy that my new Outback is so roomy inside, and it's so much easier to get to things with four doors...my old Blazer only had two.  After saying goodbye to my cat Kimi...she was hiding, thinking she was going, too...I left early this morning and headed south.  My good mood didn't last very long.  Traveling on I-5 out of Issaquah, I suddenly heard the sound of something hitting my windshield.  I looked around, but didn't see any rock chip, so I figured it wasn't anything.  After stopping for a quick fast food lunch, I got back into my car...and saw it.  A CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD!!!  Apparently, the rock had hit out my line of sight.  From the impact point, there was a crack to the bottom edge and another crack radiating up about five inches!  The change of temperature from the cooler west side to the warmer east side of the mountains probably caused the crack to manifest itself.  I cursed quietly to myself,  but there's nothing I can do now.  I can only hope the crack stops growing, or if it continues, doesn't spider walk across my field of vision.  I didn't think to get a photo of my cracked windshield...maybe tomorrow. 

After a short visit with my parents to show off my Outback, complete with window crack, I continued on to my only activity of the day.  In the southeast section of Washington state you'll find Palouse Falls State Park. The one and only time I've visited this park was back in the mid-80s, but it hasn't changed.  It's an impressive waterfall, although there's less water flow this time of the year.  Still, I got some great photos of the falls and downstream of it, where you can see the geology of the area in the rock formations.  Just think, a long time ago, the water level was at the top of those cliffs!

Tomorrow, I'll be doing a lot more driving...not so much sightseeing.  There's rain in the forecast late in the afternoon, then more rain the next day.  That might put a damper on my outdoor plans, but I have a few alternatives.  That's important when you're road tripping...

Fitz and the Tantrums at Showbox SoDo: Doin' it again!

Last August, the soul/indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums performed to a sold-out crowd at Seattle's Showbox SoDo.  I was there, and it was an energetic, amazing show.  Fast forward ten months later, and the band returned to the Showbox last week to another sell-out audience.  On my drive south to Seattle for the show, despite getting an early start, I still got caught up in rush hour AND Seattle Mariners game traffic.  The baseball game inflated parking rates around the stadium, which happened to be just a block from the venue.  Rather than waste time looking for cheaper parking, I decided to bite the bullet and selected a lot across the street from the Showbox.  As I crossed the street, I noticed two Fitz and the Tantrums tour buses parked adjacent to the building.

As I was taking photos, I spotted Fitz exiting the building and walking toward the buses.  He looked in my direction, I waved to him and Fitz waved back. At the last show, I staked a spot at the front of the stage with a friend, which was great.  This time around, I was going solo, so I decided it would be best to grab a seated vantage point in the venue's bar area.  Checking out the line in front of the building, I noted a handful of people in the main entrance line, and only one young female waiting in front of the bar entrance.  Since it was still pretty early, I decided to see if I could chat with any of the Fitz and the Tantrums band members.

Just as I rounded the corner to where the buses were parked, I saw drummer John Wicks just about to enter one of them.  I shouted out a greeting, and he walked toward me.  I had brought a drum head with me, hoping to get it autographed by John, so this was a perfect opportunity.  John graciously signed the drum head...such a nice guy!  I continued walking around the buses and standing there taking a smoke break was Fitz himself!  We talked for a little bit, and I joking asked if he had warmed up his pitching arm.  Fitz and the Tantrums were scheduled to throw out the first pitch of that night's Mariners game, and Fitz was to do the honors.

When I returned to the front of the building, the young lady was joined by her female friend.  I struck up a conversation with them, and despite the fact I was much older than they were, we quickly bonded.  After the bar opened, they invited me to join their table, which I happy accepted.  It's always more fun to attend a concert with company!  We talked about music and movies...like me, they both loved horror movies!  Even better, one of them was a fellow Washington State University alumnus, so we talked Cougar stuff, too!  When doors opened, they raised the curtains separating the music hall from the bar.  The young women had selected a table along the curtain line, so we had a good view of the stage.  The two opening acts, holy child and Max Frost were basically time killers...none of us liked them very much. Sometimes, that's the way the cookie crumbles!

 

It turns out neither one of my table mates had ever seen Fitz and the Tantrums perform live, so I assured them that they were in for a treat.  When the band took the stage, they started things off with a bang and never looked back.  The music and energetic vocals were simply awesome, and the light displays were even better than last year's concert.  Here are some pics and the set list for the night.

 

 

Get Away

Don't Gotta Work It Out

Break The Walls

Keepin' Our Eyes Out

Spark

Merry Go Round

Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics cover)

Out Of My League

House On Fire

Fools Gold

Last Raindrop

6AM

Tell Me What Ya Here For

LOV

Encore

Moneygrabber

The Walker

After the concert, my table mates were just blown away...they LOVED it!  I'm sure it would be the first of many future Fitz and the Tantrums shows for them.  It was after 11:30 pm, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to my friend Joe, the bass player.  I staked out a spot along the barricade near the buses along with about a dozen other fans.  First to come out was Fitz, who took the time to talk, take pics and sign autographs for everyone there.  I got a hug from Fitz, and I told him, as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  One by one, the other band members came out.  I got a high five from keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna and chatted with saxophone guy, James King.  It was almost 1:00 am when Joe finally showed up.  We exchanged a few words...it's always so nice to see him...and after a goodbye hug, I made my long drive back home.  I would have loved to stay to see Noelle Scaggs, but it was pretty late.  Hopefully, I'll see her at the next Fitz and the Tantrums concert, and there WILL be more for me.  Watching them perform live is almost addicting...I just can't get enough. 

Fitz and the Tantrums: Fun times at Star 101.5 Star Stage

Last week, one of my favorite bands Fitz and the Tantrums visited the Pacific Northwest for a series of shows.  I had the good fortune of not only attending their scheduled concert at the Showbox SoDo, but also scored a ticket to a live radio show.  When it comes to radio station contests, most of the time you have to listen in during live broadcasts and call or text in at designated times.  That counts me out because I'm usually at work during the day and I'm not allowed such frivolous activities.  Plus, my flip phone makes texting rather a chore, not that I text anyway...that's right, I don't have a smartphone.  But, occasionally, radio stations allow members of their listener clubs to just submit their email address to enter contests.  That was the case with the Fitz and the Tantrums show, and I was ecstatic when I became one of the lucky winners.

The show was sponsored by Star 101.5 FM radio station in Seattle.  This was my first time attending such an event, not counting the 101.9 KINK FM Bing Lounge show I went to in Portland, OR back in 2010.  Yeah, I also scored a ticket for that radio show, but it was just attending a live performance...nothing more.  The Star Stage show was a little more involved. Attendees were treated to a box lunch before the show, which was was nice.

I chatted with a lady who was there with her daughter.  Like myself, she was also quite familiar with Fitz and the Tantrums.  I found it especially interesting that she had actually seen Five For Fighting perform on Star Stage several years ago.  I would have loved to see THAT show, but alas, I was not so lucky back then.  After lunch, myself along with about 50 other people made our way next door to the Star Stage.  I got a front row seat, but really, every seat had a great view of the stage. 

For the day's show, only three members of the band would be performing.  Star 101.5's morning disc jockeys Kent Phillips and Alan Budwill introduced vocalists Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs and guitarist Joe Karnes.  I've known Joe since 2010 when he toured with Five For Fighting.  As Fitz and the others took the stage, Joe spotted me in the front row and gave me a little wave.  Normally, Joe plays bass, but in this particular setting, he brought his acoustic guitar.

 

Fitz, Noelle and Joe played three songs...The Walker, Out Of My League and their new single, Fools Gold.  The songs are all off their recent album release, More Than Just A Dream.  It was great watching them perform in such an intimate setting.

After the show, there was a quick meet and greet.  Everyone got a brief moment and a photo with the band.  I got a hug from Joe AND Fitz, who said he remembered me from the last time they were in Seattle for a concert.  

In addition to the photo op, everyone got an autographed Fitz and the Tantrums picture provided by the radio station.  In all, it was a wonderful experience, and a fitting preview of the upcoming full band concert.  Thanks Star 101.5!