Montana 9/30

Montana.  What a state!  I know we joke all the time about how Michigan can experience every season in a single day but that actually happens here.  The day started off with a torrential downpour.  After about a half hour we were hit by a storm with winds clocking in at about 50 mph.  Maybe 15 minutes later we saw a snow flurry blowing sideways.  Two more hours pass: T-shirt weather.  Four hours: I was very happy to be wearing layers.  The weather could best be described as unpredictable, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

After the morning monsoon there was a double rainbow… all the way… you get the idea.  It had the largest, brightest, and most colorful base rainbow that I have ever seen.  It was so big that it took four shots on my newly bought Wal-Mart digital camera to capture it.  The lower rainbow touched down what couldn’t have been more than a half a mile into the woods.  I still can’t get over how beautiful it was—it looked painted on the sky!  Like the hummingbird at Quest I took this as a sign.  For every hardship we endure, some greater good will emerge. 

I feel like so many epic things have happened to me since I joined the Emergency Response Team that I am ashamed to write of anything less than extraordinary.  So, here are a couple of random pieces of information for you.  At our base camp, Fleecer Cabin, Montana (kind of near Butte) we have this giant tent called “Eurt.”  Last night we crammed 19 people inside and had a good ol’ time.  I guess the record is 23.  I will let you know if we beat it (we never housed more than 20).  Tonight I was sent with a smaller group of six to a place called Wisdom.  I’m semi-hopeful that I will find the second piece of the Tri-Force here.  Again, will keep you posted.  For now though, I need some sleep.  We’re going into the woods tomorrow and I need to be at the top of my game.  Hope life is treating you as wonderfully as it is me!

First photo was taken by Liana Kopp at Fleecer cabin.  The last two were by Sean Kerr.