Now I know… a can of shaving cream when falling from the height of the top shelf of a medicine cabinet can punch a fist sized hole through a sink. So new trailer rule – no heavy objects in the medicine cabinet. We have now won an extended stay in Great Falls, Montana while we await the arrival and installation of a new sink.
The drive from Idaho Falls to Great Falls was beautiful. Huge expanses of green meadows, mountains with snow, and grazing cows and horses. Had a pizza lunch in the historic district of Butte, Montana. Lots of brick buildings, many of which are empty. Interesting that mine shafts are collocated with buildings and houses – makes for a huge environmental mess. Read that in the 1990s, people were not allowed to drink the tap water because it was so contaminated. The water pipes were wooden!
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| A view from the driver's side passing through Idaho and Montana |
When Russ was setting up the trailer for our stay in Rexburg, Idaho (just north of Idaho Falls), he discovered a stowaway. This little guy was part of the rookery of flamingos that we have been keeping in our garage for the infestation fundraiser the Cal Heights youth have been working. We aren’t sure whether he will be able to make it across the border to Canada, since he is an exotic bird and all. But so far, he hasn’t been much trouble.
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| The water in Idaho was a little too cold for his liking. |
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| He and the local wildlife were checking each other out, keeping a safe distance. |
Stopped by the Idaho Potato Museum and saw the world's largest potato chip. The area we were in provides 30% of the potatos consumed in the United States.
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| The world's largest potato chip - where's the dip? |
While we were passing through the Salt Lake City area, stopped at a quilt shop in Sandy, Utah. Quilts, Etc. is a very nice store with two buildings of fabrics, kits and more pattern books than I have seen in a single store.
Drove out to Kennecott Copper Mine visitor center west of Salt Lake City area. Talk about feeling like a little ant. That hole in the ground is HUGE – ½ mile deep and 2 ½ miles wide! The dump trucks that look so small are each carrying almost 400 tons of rocks to the crusher. Each truck uses six tires with a replacement cost of about $150,000 a year. I guess I won’t complain about my Lexus’ tires anymore. The scale of the whole place is mind boggling.
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| Each scoop of rock is 90 tons |
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| They have 80 of these trucks hauling rock 24/7 |
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| One tire costs $25,000 |
Since leaving Las Vegas, the weather has been cool and a bit rainy. I have been told by locals that it is wetter than usual for this time of year. The rivers are swollen with snowmelt and there are many flooded fields. But so far, no troubles for our travels.
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