Day 57 of 84 Days of 84 Ribbons: Approaching Missoula

Traveling by car is a favorite way to go for me. I enjoy the scenery, the small vistas and the large views. I enjoy the approaches to small towns, the local markets and shops and the chance to compare where I live with where others happily abide. Missoula is very different from Edmonds. Our Puget Sound waterfront, tall evergreens and distant mountains are replaced by dusty rolling hills and farmlands as we approach the town. Over the decades the small town I remember has grown to surround a major interstate highway, I-90. The giant ‘M’ on the hill for the University of Montana is still there. Now the college town has added wineries and breweries (of course the last time I was in Missoula at age 17, I wouldn’t have been aware of them had they been there!).

I didn’t remember that Missoula was 3200 feet above sea level and was situated in the Bitterroot Mountains. I also didn’t realize that the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone River started in Idaho and flowed nearby and would eventually pass Billings where Marta’s story is situated. Small world, isn’t it? I love geography and our country fascinates me as I experience various regions.

Later this afternoon is my book signing at Fact and Fiction Bookstore on the UM campus. I’m excited to meet those who stop by. Tomorrow is graduation day. Congrats to all who are making the step into the world of unanticipatable change and unending possibilities. May your journey be filled with happiness and good fortune!