“This is my favorite spot,” Everett said.  “Pretty good fishing in that hole over there.”  He pointed to a deep pool in the shade of the big cottonwoods.  Blue damselflies flitted about the reeds in the shade there, adding bright points of color to the washed-out afternoon.  The Sparrow’s Choice
I sure get to go pretty places 🙂  I was joined this time by two other buses for a busy day at the fish hatchery on the Jocko River!  The river was moving fairly fast but there were also ponds, still and quiet.

Because of my need to go exploring, I missed all the info on the facility, which provides rainbow trout stock.  I’ve never seen such big rainbows, and there were tanks of babies in all sizes too.

In my coming and going I saw fish being sketched, heard a lecture on what legends are, fish being fed, and happy kids eating lunch.

No fish were caught.  The only thing we actually brought home were memories of a warm day with friends learning more about how the world works!

“They have a heritage to share with the other students and those of us who know nothing about their true culture; it gives them a sense of pride.  We set up a little fire inside the tipi and do a little cooking, some storytelling.”  The Sparrow’s Choice

Last week was river honoring for the Salish and Kootenai tribes.  There is a lovely spot along the Flathead River set up for sharing and educating local school kids each May.  There was a tipi for each of, I believe, ten “stations” where students could learn fish and water bug identification, about local trees, Native American stick games, about power provided by our local dam, and touch animal hides and bones brought by the Forest Service.

There was a raptor rescue organization, the station I visited the most.

An elder from the tribe sat at his big powwow drum and when he played and sang the kids moved on to the next station.  The only thing that damped the activity was rain the second day, but in between squalls the field was alive with happy children.

Not one to sit still, I had to explore.  The river is running fast these days with runoff.  I tromped up and down where the willows didn’t block my way and ate lunch in the shade of a juniper.

I’d heard about an old flume up in the hills and it was an easy search.  It and the scenery were worth the short hike.  This not an hour from my house, unbelievable to me.  I spent a couple of hours of up there and will likely hike up there again given the chance!

It was Saturday morning, just after breakfast, and Calandra and Everett were going over to watch the tipi being put up.  “We’ve never seen this done before!”  Everett had his neck craned back, looking straight up to the tops of the first four tipi poles already in place…”  The Sparrow’s Choice
Off to the museum on this field trip, the Ninepipes Museum, to learn about the history of our valley, the Salish and Kootenai tribes living here and the early days of the Hudson Bay Company.

It couldn’t have been a prettier day.  This area is a refuge and a wetland management district.  I’m always hopeful to see swans here, a fairly rare treat, but always there are geese and a variety of ducks swimming in the runoff-filled ponds, nests tucked in the cat tails and along the grassy shorelines.

I stopped here for breakfast in 1992, I think it was, when I was wondering around the West looking for a place to settle.  It was the dead of winter but I remember the Ninepipes Lodge and the view.   Now coming into spring, there is no better view of the Mission Mountains than across this sweet pond in the back of the restaurant, complete with geese and their goslings and turtles out sunning themselves.  No way I could have known all these years later I’d get here in a school bus!  🙂

I wish I’d remembered about this great old buckboard, I’d have taken my own picture for the cover of my book!  

Over the river to Glacier Int’l. Park we went! Lucky for us it was a gorgeous day. Also lucky for us the chaperoning teacher wanted to talk to the kids at Lake McDonald first, so we stopped there briefly. I couldn’t help but take more pictures.

Then we went the back way out of the park over the North Fork of the Flathead River. There is true wilderness up this road, a rough, dusty road during traveling weather. It’s not uncommon to see bear and elk in this area, and campers must be cautious. Just before it ends at the Canadian border there’s a tiny community with a general store and a bar/restaurant, the Northern Lights. There are no utilities there, save propane for the restaurant, and you can order a fabulous pizza and eat by lantern light.

This day we stopped at a lovely camp, a learning “institute” for both kids and adults. I dropped off a class and came back empty so stopped along the way and took a few pics – I just can’t help myself!!!