July 13, 2013 Museum day in Livingston, MT

On Saturday, the four of us went into Livingston, where we visited two museums and had lunch in the "historical district".  All four of us love to explore museums, so this was a win-win!  One museum is the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, and the other is the Livingston Depot Center.  Both are train-related, since this is a railroad town. 

Ruthie & Jimmy watching trains at the Depot museum.

Inside the caboose at the Yellowstone Gateway museum.

Posted inside the caboose.

The caboose at the Yellowstone Gateway museum.

One room school at the Yellowstone Gateway museum.

Inside a restored covered wagon at the Yellowstone Gateway museum.

Yellowstone Gateway museum.

Interesting signage in historical Livingston.

Historical Livingston.

The old Northern Pacific Depot.

I hope you can enlarge this and read it.
The "monad" is the ancient yin/yang symbol and is on the building and everything else associated with Northern Pacific.

July 11, 2013 Float trip down the Yellowstone River

Today we arranged for a 12-mile float trip in a rented raft.  The weather was predicted for hot and sunny, but we got very lucky and it stayed overcast and pleasant!  Along the way we spotted various creatures, including ospreys, hawks, an eagle, a meadowlark, lots of robins, geese, horses, and llamas (too far away for a photo, darn it).  The water was cold so nobody volunteered to go swimming, but it felt good to dangle our feet in it now & then.  There were a few spots of "bumpy" water, but no rapids.  Absolutely awe-inspiring, floating along with mountains on both sides - even some patches of snow up high!  What a wonderful day....  but wait!  

After we got back and cleaned up, we drove to Bozeman and had supper at Ted's Montana Grill (as in Ted Turner) (think bison burgers).  Then we strolled the streets in historic old Bozeman and listened to a live band (free music on Thursdays) and bought chocolate.  Who could ask for more?

Osprey

Tom, Ruthie, Jimmy

Majestic bald eagle, posing for us.

Oops!  Ruthie tumped over backwards!

Rafting is popular on this river.

Bubba, Jimmy, Ruthie,
Nannie, Susan, Tom

Jimmy, Ruthie, Bubba.

So very different from south Louisiana!

Osprey feeding young.  Nest platforms are common.

Another view from the river....

My sister!

My Bubba!

me

The ladies... 

The men...

July 10, 2013 Natural Bridge State Park

The Boulder River flows through the mountains and is a mecca for trout fishermen.  Parts of the movie "A River Runs Through It" was filmed on this river.  The area is breathtaking, surrounded by mountains and ranches, wildflowers and streams, deer and antelope.  If you ever get a chance to explore Montana, do it!

Soaring hawk.

Tom and Jimmy.

Montana IS horse country...

Mother and child.

Antelope.

Footbridge over the Boulder River.

The Boulder River dropping down to flow underneath the collapsed Natural Bridge.

Nannie and Bubba next to the river going under.

Bubba watching the river go underneath.

The river flowing back out from underneath the collapsed bridge.

Beautiful!

July 10, 2013 McLeod, Montana

On our drive across the mountains to the Natural Bridge, we went through some beautiful valleys with a scattering of ranches.  We stopped for lunch at the village of McLeod, Montana.  It consists of a one-room post office/museum, a one-room school, an automotive repair shop, and a Resort Hotel with cabins.  It's situated across the Boulder River from the Raw Deal Ranch.  What a beautiful setting for a picnic lunch!

The McLeod School.

The sign is self-explanatory....

The Granddaddy of the all...

See above....

Columbines.

Beautiful fence!

The post office and museum.

How's this for a lawnmower?

The Boulder River.

Lunch!  Tom, Susan, me, Ruthie, and Jim.

Cedar waxwing.

July 9, 2013 Bicycle ride into Livingston, Montana

It was a lovely day for a bicycle ride, so Jimmy and Ruthie and I pedaled into "town".  Nice flat ride on a former railroad bed, so it wasn't too strenuous.  Most enjoyable!

Mom and the kids....  Sacajawea Park

Jimmy's new bike helmet!

Statue of Sacajawea

Downtown Livingston, by the rail yard.

Old warehouse by the railyard.

These things live in holes in the ground and act like squirrels, are they ground squirrels?

We stopped and threw some hay over the fence for these horses....

And this one said "Thaaannk yeewww!"

July 9, 2013 Surprise!

On the cliff face across the road from the campground is a family of Peregrine Falcons.  Apparently the babies fledged because there was a bunch of falcons zooming around overhead this morning.  One of them landed on the little island in the Yellowstone River, and then posed for us.  This is the best I could do with a 26x zoom camera.  Such a beautiful creature!