Yes! Grizzly bears nearby. But Nolemana and I had no time to see them, and really, did I want to see a caged one? Nope. So we continued on our way, still heading east. Gotta say that cuz get mauka all around us!

East on I-90 towards Livingston
Yes! Grizzly bears nearby. But Nolemana and I had no time to see them, and really, did I want to see a caged one? Nope. So we continued on our way, still heading east. Gotta say that cuz get mauka all around us!

East on I-90 towards Livingston
After having lunch with Auntie, Nolemana and I headed back into town to buy a pair of much-needed new windshield wipers. No way I was gonna have a repeat of the night before!

Okay, remember the fabulous lodge-like great room of Auntie’s place? Today we’re gonna see more of it.

Anna’s place, main lodge room
The Knitting Olympics/Ravelympics are pau. Before I started, I had set a very challenging goal for myself, namely to enter the “WIP Dancing” (Work-in-Progress) event, and finish up two blankets that had been languishing for years, as well as a shawl that I’d started right after my mom died but had never finished.
We couldn’t start till Opening Ceremonies. We had to be pau by Closing Ceremonies.
I am pleased to announce that I did it! I reached my goal! Here is one of my medals. (Bob, the dog, is the Ravelry mascot.)
After leaving Helena, we were back on the road with the big sky all around us. I thought of John Denver’s “Wild Montana Sky” duet with Emmy Lou Harris. I was loving every minute of this trip; it was such an adventure for a born and raised island girl. This is Highway 12 south, just north of Clasoil at Pioneer Fuel and Concrete.

Ho, Part Eleven already and we’re not even to our destination yet! But we were about to see an awesome sight, just a few miles away, in the MacDonald Pass area.

McDonald Pass Recreation area on the way to Helena
On a road trip like the one we were on, you can be just zooming along the highway enjoying the sights. Which is really pretty special when you’re driving through country you’ve never seen before.
Continue reading
Just so you folks know… besides updating da blog, I’m also trying to complete some knitting stuff for the Ravelympics, which coincides, strangely enough, with the Winter Olympics.
The goal of the Ravelympics (from Ravelry, a knitting community) and The Knitting Olympics (both of which I’ve signed up for) is to sign up for knitting challenges that require a whole lotta effort in order to complete by the time Closing Ceremonies in the real Olympics ends. You might want to read Stephanie-Pearl McPhee’s blog post (second link) to find out more what it’s all about. She says it much better than I can.
I am in an “event” in which I am finishing up some projects that have been languishing while I did my normal thing of rabbit-tracking from one knitting project to another. I’m doing four of them!
So if I don’t update Da Mystery Road Trip Revealed as often as I’d like, that’s why. I will do my best to keep at it in both arenas.
I started out not so good. One of my projects is finishing a blanket with my handspun from some of my favorite sheep. It was languishing, waiting while I carded and spun some fleece from my very special ewe, ‘Ele‘ele, who died several years ago. The other night during Opening Ceremonies (we weren’t allowed to start our projects till then) I knit four very long rows with yarn from her, and hated it. I’d spun it too fine and with too much twist, and it felt horrible. Which meant that I had to spin up two more bobbins, then ply them together, then set the twist (soaking in hot water), then let it dry, which it’s doing now. I am so much happier with this skein and I’m glad I did it.
Part Ten will be tomorrow. Mahalo for understanding. Knitting? Writing? Or both?
You folks can cheer me on… the encouragement would be fabulous.
Before I start posting more photos, I want to tell you folks who are riding along with Nolemana, Kukui, Musubi, and me how much it means to me that you take time to read this humble little blog of mine. I don’t always know who you are, but I so appreciate all of you. When I first started this blog I had absolutely no knowledge of how to do one. I didn’t know how to upload photos, I felt kind of silly for even thinking that anyone besides me would read it. So mahalo nui loa, thank you very much, whoever you are, known and unknown, for tagging along on this amazing trip of a lifetime! Please feel free to share your comments; I love reading them. Continue reading
Was all ready to post da next installment but Photobucket is all hamajang. Won’t let me link here. I’ll try again later. Sheesh.