maiden voyage

Jason and I have been eyeing a certain Native brand tandem kayak/canoe hybrid thing all summer, unable to bring ourselves to purchase it new. A few weeks ago we were third on the list to purchase a new one at a good end-of-season price, but someone ahead of us took it. We thought our chances were done. But last week we happened upon the end-of-season sale of their demo boats! There were two left the day after the sale started, only possible according to the salespeople because of the crumby weather for the past couple weeks. Otherwise, people literally line up at 6 am to get such boats. Long story short, we got one! Man. It sucks to watch yourself get really excited about material possessions. But this is something we will make use of, I tell you. Use of. More than we would that silly paper money we spent on it.

Anywho, we've been in plenty of small boats, but neither of us have operated a kayak-like contraption. Getting it into the water on our maiden voyage into Lake McDonald, we looked like the two stooges. First, we nearly got into the water without our paddles. While Jason went back to the van to fetch them, there gathered on the once-empty nearby shore a small crowd of people, out to observe the nice sunset. Feeling the pressure, since we were the only moving things to look at (the sunset was rather still, and there weren't other boaters on the lake), I started giggling uncontrollably and so could barely lift my end of the kayak over the dock. We soon realized we shouldn't be using the dock at all, so we sheepishly walked down the dock and dropped her in directly from the shore. It was wigglier than we expected and it surprised us to be right down in the water. More giggling and goofily balancing ourselves. Afterwards, when we loaded up the boat into the van on our way out, we overestimated the van's length and pushed the boat into the front windshield. Maybe insurance will cover it.

We went on another trip last night, and things went much smoother. Here are some shots from the two evenings.

We're thinking, "Green Lily" for a name, but it's not settled yet. It's a good green color, and Lily is reminescent of the Glacier Lilies around here. Plus, lily pads. It's low to the water and looks like a lily pad...with two humans on it hurling sticks around.

and on the way home from Ekalaka,

on the recommendation of Nic's mom, we stopped by this adorable little restaurant in the middle of nowhere, the name of which escapes me. Known for their beans. No running water. Outhouses around back. We knew when we arrived and saw more vehicles at this place than we'd seen on the highway all morning, something major was up. Turned out to be the annual dance for anyone over age 65 in 150 miles. Or so. They were having a blast and were really fun to watch. I swear, unplanned moments like being in the presence of thirty dancing senior citizens, are the very best.

Ekalaka

Last Thursday we drove to Ekalaka, Montana for a wedding reception for my cousin, Autumn, and her new husband, Nic. They got married in Alaska a couple months ago, where she's from and they live, but his family wanted to throw a special party down here. We had an absolute hoot meeting and hanging out with his family. I especially loved the couple days we were there before the crowds arrived, when we got to be part of their immediate family, playing cards, eating meals around the table, and exploring the countryside.

the nearby Medicine Rocks

Jason and Nic posing for a rock album (pun intended, sadly)

The sunset turned everything and everyone bright red.

big farm stuff of Nic's best friend, Jason

getting a handful of grain out of the combine to chew on

Nic's family is comprised mostly of proud Norwegians, so we got to hear Norwegian folktales of witches who hide and wait for passing children, as well as the family stories of growing up in farm country. My favorite family story was told by Nic's uncle, Smoke, and he had a slew of them. When Smoke was a boy (everybody has nick names, including Smoke, who arrived at his by yet another story), one of the school's administrators had a speech impediment in which it took her awhile to get words out. Smoke asked his father about it, and his father said that on the way to the outhouse when this woman was young, a mountain lion jumped into the path and scared the voice right out of her. Smoke says all the kids in the school assumed this to be true for many years. What I love is that his dad was pretty dang sly. I'm guessing the kids were less apt to make fun of her knowing she'd arrived at this impediment by surviving a hairy ordeal.

Nic, his sister, Valorie, and Autumn

The shindig itself

Ekalaka is in the southeast corner of the state, and it was trippy having family and friends arrive from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, knowing they all actually live relatively close to each other.

Autumn with a bunny in her pocket

Norwegian wedding cake

pitchfork fondue

(these two shots were taken by Autumn)

bean bag games

This was a great trip not only for seeing a little town on the exact opposite end of the state from us, but for getting to know Nic better, seeing him in his original context. We'd only had a few months with him in Alaska this spring. Though he is a grown man and has been away from home for some time, I still enjoyed seeing the interactions of his family members with each other and their influences on each other. Families are cool. We are so happy for Autumn and Nic. They are dreamers and life-seekers and they're good to each other, and we're anxious to see what adventures they embark upon together.