Montana Part 1

So, on to Montana!

I have got to say Montana is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been.  I will however not tell very many people this because I do not want to ruin it.

We left Idaho and continued up route 90 and as you know always on the look out for a rest stop we found the first one across the state line.  It was clean and shiney and had a couple of old Marines in a little red trailer selling drinks and cookies to raise money for Toys for Tots.  Lovely way to start a day.  We drove for a bit and came around a corner and saw this.

This was just the first stop of many along the side of the road.  We did a lot of gasping!  Things really are this beautiful.  We travelled a long way north and east.  Thru little towns and thru lots of land.  The people that live out here have got to be hardy strong people.  We commented at one point about where do they buy groceries and holy shit what if you forget something. 

We travelled into the Flathead reservation and all I could really think about was man, the white man sucks. This was not their country, they were pushed here by people that wanted what they had, even their land.  But man, this was beautiful.  Flathead Lake is big

We stopped along the road to take this photo and met an old man travelling by himself.  He came over to me and asked what lake this was.  I told him this was Flathead Lake.  He asked if I was sure.  Yup, pretty sure.  We just came up here (I showed him on the map, because I can read a map and believe that anyone that replies soley on their GPS or phone really need to get out without them and see where they end up) and we are right here.  Flathead Lake.  Oh ok.  Thanks.  He went back to his car and we drove on.  I did wonder where he was going and if he would get there.

Then finally

Our first stop was Apgar Village where we stayed at the Village Inn.  Right smack on Lake McDonald

This was literally what we looked at when we stood in front of our room or sat on chairs to enjoy the view.  Breathtaking!  While sitting here I noticed little homes around the lake.  I could see four or five from where I was sitting.  I wondered about them.  Hmmmm, must be ranger homes.  No, not at all.  Before Glacier was a national park there were people here, homesteaders.  Again hardy people I am sure.   Well, they are still there.  Glacier National Park is built around them.  Yes, private land ownership inside the park.  Can you imagine having some of the 132 acres that are still privately owned.  I tried to find some for sale, but they do not change hands very oftern it seems.

I read a couple of stories about these cottages and here is what I learned.

One woman is 87 years old and has spent every summer of her life at her family's home on Lake McDonald.  Just like her mother did before her and her's before her.  Imagine that.  She currently has 16 children and grandchildern.  She knows her magical time at this place is coming to and end and she has no idea what is going to happen to this place.  Will her children be able to come to an agreement about using it or will they decided to sell it?  It pains her, but she says she will be dead and there will be nothing she can do.

The other story is also from a women about the same age.  She however knows exactly what will happen when she dies.  Her home and land will go to the National Park Service and become part of the park.  Her children have no choice.  She has no choice.  Her mother deeded everything to the Park Service in her will, once the daugher dies the land no longer belongs to the family that has summered there for close to 100 years.  She is bitter.

It seems the Federal Government does try to buy the land when it becomes available, but is not always successful and the NPS fears what could be built and what it would do to the park.

I am not sure how I feel about it.  Part of me thinks as long as it stays in the family it should remain private, but trying to sell it should not be allowed.  Once the last person goes, it should become part of the park.  Right?  Don't know?  I just know I would hate to see some big giant McMansion or modern hotel built anywhere in this park.

Hypocritical?  Maybe.  I am about to take advantage of the early commericialization of this land and who am I to say when it should stop?

We spent two nights in this part of the park.  On our first full day we took a tour in this:

 

Going to the Sun Road here we come.

Stay tuned for Part two.

The National Park Tour - Post 1

I will admit right off the bat that I forgot the little do-hickey that allows me to easily transfer photos from my camera to my ipad, so I'll just be posting photos that I take on my phone.  Which I have to email to myself and open on my ipad.  Yes, I know I could just take photos with my ipad, but I think that looks really dorky.  So, look for more photos once we are home.

Anyway, we hit the road about 1:00 Friday afternoon, Cheryl, Mare and I in our pretty rented Ford Explorer.  We did run into a little traffic getting out of the Bay Area.  Once we got past 80 and onto 505 N it was pretty smooth sailing.

We drove up to Oregon.  Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I have lived on the West coast for all these years and rarely been north of Sacramento, much less cross the state line.  We drove past some pretty places

This was one little town we drove thru. It was funny.  

We continued on to Bend, because we thought if we stopped at Weed...

We had been told that Bend was a cute little town, but I really can't tell you.  We drove in after dark and left the next morning.  One thing I can tell you is to avoid the Shari's there.  We went for dinner, it reminded us of Denny's and thought "how bad can it be".  While Cheryl and Mare did not have any problems, this is how my night went.

I'll have a cheese omlette with potato's and sour dough toast.

Waiter brings our meals and I cut into my omlette and in addition to the cheese were all these nice consistent size bites of ham.  Vegetarian here, this is a problem for me.  

I call the waiter over, he takes the plate back.  Oh would I like a free piece of pie while I wait?  No, but Mare wanted pie for dessert so she gets a free slice of peach pie.  Cheryl and Mare start to eat.  Ten or fifteen minutes go by and my remade omlette has still not made an appearence.  Finally the waiter brings it over and sets it down in front of me and there is no toast - oh and no fork.  Waiter says toast is being made, it will be right over and my beloved grabs a fork from the next table.  I start to eat my very well done omlette while waiting for my toast, and waiting and waiting and waiting.  The manager comes out to ask how things are?  Well, still waiting for my toast - oh ok.  She leaves and toast finally arrives.  It looks like they held the toast in front of the toaster.  Needless to say I was not thrilled.  We asked to see the manager again, waiter returns and says she is not coming back out.  What?? Really?  So waiter goes back and manager comes out.  Cheryl says I don't think we should have to pay for her meal, had to wait so long, the omlette was over cooked.  Manager finally says well, just take it off the bill, I'll figure it out.  So just avoid it and I promise not to base my feelings for an entire state on the service at Sheri's in Bend.

One thing we did notice was in some of the small towns there were public bathrooms.  We stopped at one, because after all, we are women of certain age and we like to know where the bathrooms are.  One of the things we liked about Ireland was every little town you passed thru had a very nice public bathroom, but I digress.  This little town in Oregan had a very nice public bathroom and if I could remember the name of the town I'd tell you.

We continued on to Idaho, I just don't know how you can take such a good picture while travelling at 70 miles an hour.  Technology!

On our way to Couer d'Alene.  For those of you without the google, Couer d'Alene was named by French trappers and roughly translates to Heart of the Awl.  Yes, awl as in leather working tool.  The city symbol is a very cool heart with an awl thru it.  When you think about it, it is not a great symbol.

It was very pretty.  It used to be a pretty sleepy town and is now a really big resort area.  You can see the new constuction every where and a whole lot of it looks like any place USA.

They seem to like public art here

We stayed the night, went down to the lake front the next morning and walked around

And yes, the water was cold.

And I have a question about Idaho - how do they get their flowers to grow so damn big and pretty

Everywhere I looked were hanging flowers, flowers in big pots, half pots hanging of the side of buildings.  You think they water them or something?  I'll have to try that once we get water in California again.

Then on to Montana!

Why I support Planned Parenthood

I post my support for Planned Parenthood on Facebook. I agree with all who post that Planned Parenthood is a good thing.   A place where women can get birth control.  A place where women can get medical help.  And yes, a safe place where women can go for an abortion.

Women like me.  

I recently read a story of women who made a statement, that women who get abortions live with shame.  And I realized that is what I have been doing for a long time.

Not shame because I had an abortion, shame of what I thought people would think of me if they knew.  What do I care what people think of me?  In most of my life, I don't.  But for some reason the fact that I had an abortion was different.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear, I do not regret that I had an abortion, I regret the fact that I was faced with making the hard choice.  I was 21, recently had broken up with my boyfriend and had been on birth control.  And here I was.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done.  I knew I was not ready to have a child.  I could barely take care of myself, let alone a baby.  I knew that while my recently ex boyfriend would have been thrilled at the thought of a child, I also knew I did not want to tie myself to someone that I was not sure I loved, forever.

I remember going to Planned Parenthood.  I had to go twice, once for them to do a pregnancy test and counsel me on what my options would be if I was pregnant.  They were kind and concerned and contrary to what seems to be popular belief, abortion was not all they counseled.  The next day they called me and told me I was in fact pregnant and what did I want to do?  What did I want to do??  What did I want to do?

Shit, I did not want to believe this was true.  I did not want to have to make a decision.  I wanted to cry, I wanted to take a trip in the wayback machine and not have to be facing this, that is what I wanted to do.

But, I made an appointment for termination of my pregnancy for the next day.

I have good friends, I went home and cried as I told Donna & Kim.  They hugged me and said whatever you need, we are here.  

Joanie who went with me that day, sat with me in the waiting room, took me home and tucked me in bed after.

I remember walking into the procedure room, the doctor who asked me if I was sure.  Yes.  

I remember the shape of the glasses on the face of the young woman that held my hand as I tears rolled down my cheeks.

If Planned Parenthood had not been available to me what would I have done?  How different would my life have been?  

Would it have been better?  I have a pretty awesome life, I can't imagine it being better.

Would it had been worse?

I have asked myself these questions, but you know what?  I am the only one that can ask those questions.  I am the only one that could have made this decision.  I am the only one that has to live with it.

And you know what else, I'm ok with it.  I won't feel shame about it anymore and I don't care if this story changes the way you feel about me.

What is most important is the Planned Parenthood is there for the next girl and the next and the next.

San Francisco Love

Today is my last day in a class in San Francisco.  The weather has been wonderful and playing tourist at lunch time and after class has reminded me of why I love this city.

I love it for the buildings downtown.  How many of us really look at buildings.  When we walk we hopefully look at where were are going, but we should always take a moment to stop and look up.  Always look up.  

I love it for the light.  Morning, afternoon and evening, the light constantly changes.

I love it because it has always felt right to me to be here.

Yes, I know, she has problems.  But being a visitor for a week, I can over look those and see San Francisco using the same eyes that I first saw her with so many years ago and fall in love with her all over again.

My response

As I sit enjoying the beach of North Carolina, I sometimes forget that the entire country is not as accepting as the San Francisco Bay Area where I live, then I read something like Arthur Thorne's vitriolic, homophobic, ridiculous rant about marriage equality and the Supreme Court decision last week and I am reminded of that fact.  Mr. Thorne is ashamed of his country because "it" ruled that people are people and love concurs hate?  I would be ashamed if they did anything different.  

The 14th Amendment states "equal protection under the law"  If that does not mean equal for all - what does it mean?  Protection only for people you agree with?  Protection only for people just like you? Protection for people that think exactly like you?

Mr. Thorne references that homo-apartheid is not implied or recognized anywhere in the American Constitution.  But that does not stop people from trying to get laws passed that would put homosexuals into "camps" or perhaps Mr. Thorne would like to start collecting signatures for his own "Sodomite Suppression Act" in North Carolina.  For those that don't know the "Sodomite Suppression Act" states that the solution to the sodomite issue is to shoot us in the head.  This hate-filled initiative is currently being fought by the Attorney General of California, to keep it off the November ballot.  

Is it sick and perverted to watch friends that have been together for 30 and 40 years to finally be able to protect each other using the rules of a civil contract called marriage?  I myself was finally able to marry my partner of nearly 15 years a couple of years ago, my marriage was a cause for celebration, as are all the others I have attended over the last few years.  

Mr. Thorne states that 30 or more states are gathering petitions to secede from the United States?  Citizens in states (not the states themselves) have talked about seceding from the country since we became a nation and it has nothing to do with marriage equality.

Mr. Thorne, I hope we are both around in 30 years to see our nation where our nation stands.  I believe my view of America will be the one we will be living in.  A nation where all are protected, where who you are married to only matters to the person you are married to, a nation at peace with itself and the world.  

Margaret Fuquea

California

Little people and Erectile Disfunction?

OK, I am not sure if you are aware of all the shows on TV now that explore the lives of little people.

There is "The Little Couple"  about a dr and her husband and their two children in Texas.

There is "The LIttle Family" a couple with three little kids that live in Annapolis.

There is another one about a family, mom, dad and five kids.  I don't know where they live.

There is "Little Women of LA"  Takes place in LA and revolves around five women and their problems and families.  I am not sure if any of them even like each other, but the call each other friends.

There is the shoot off of the LA show - "Terras Little Family" one of the LA girls and her boyfriend have a cute little baby.

Then there is "Little Women of NY" again a bunch of girls and one guy that I'm not sure if they like each other, but they are in each others lives.

Now, I do find the plethera of shows about little people a little odd.  Was there a casting call for little people?  Is there a TV agent out there scouring the world for little people to put on TV?

Another thing I need to bring up is when you watch any of these shows on On Demand the only commercials they show are for Erectile Disfunction.  Seriously.  Every single commercial.

This leads to me to wonder if Erectile Disfunction is a problem in the little people world.

Time

Well, in December I stated I needed to blog more.  That has worked well.  No blog postings since I made that decision.  Hmm, o well I guess no time like the present.

This has been a long week.  I am not sure what makes some weeks or days longer than others.  We all know it is the same amount of time.  The same number of hours every day.  The same number of days in a week.

Dali had that melted clock in some of his painting which represented the passing of time.  

Was he wondering these same things?

Am I on the same wave length as Dali?

Hmmm...