Happy 4th!!

Got in my first back to back ride in yesterday. Went for 56 miles. Left from the lake cabin and since I don't get cell service the route looks like it doesn't start until I got to the main road, but trust me there are 12 (6 each way) grueling miles from the cabin to the highway. As for the ride, I decided to stick with what I know (which ain't much) and went back to Ronan. It is so darn beautiful.

Below is the view as I was returning back to Polson MT looking at Flathead Lake. 

There are so many terrific shots I'm trying not to make this a home movie blog and overwhelm you with pictures and keep it to one per day while I'm training.  Once we start the trip to San Francisco, get ready there will be more whether you like it or not.

Being the Fourth of July we, of course, celebrated our country's Independence with many friends on the lake at a beautiful lake house.  Home made pizza from a wood fired pizza oven.  Yes you read that correctly, pizza oven on the lake.  No "Hot and Ready's" at Flathead! Special thanks to Andy, Deb and Ben for the wonderful evening.

After dinner we had a special treat and got to watch Beau the dog that does math perform.  It was amazing.  I know, I know you're all asking "How much wine did you have before you watched the show Chris?"  The answer is a lot, but that's not the point.  This dog does math and I'm not just talking 1+1.  He does division, multiplication and subtraction.  A girl from the party (who I know was not staged) randomly asked Beau what was 12 divided by 2 and he got it (I think it's 6 right?)  It was wild stuff.

Then there were the fireworks.  Wow!  None of this sparklers and smoke bombs that Oregon allows.  In Montana anything goes and people were firing MAJOR fireworks from all the docks.  Not city sponsored mind you, these are personal displays.  Lots of money going up in smoke, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Finally, that night in the motor home we had our own excitement (no, not that kind).  Some how a bat got into the RV and was flying all around.  Of course I was a sleep and Cheryl heard it.  Now the scream from a mouse scurrying across the floor is bad enough, but the scream from a bat flying around the bedroom of the RV is at an entirely different level.  No only that, Cheryl was doing a pretty good Paul Bunyan imitation with the pillow and missed the bat but clocked me across the head.  Well, we finally got it to fly out the door and all was well in the world.