Our Last Day in Missoula and the Trip Home, June 1 and 2, 3

 June 1

We met Jen Olsen, who just came back from a year teaching in Anchorage, Alaska. We met at the Old Post restaurant where she treated us to a delicious breakfast. We enjoyed hearing about her adventures and impressions from her year. Way too dark. Too much rain. No sun. And, a difficult teaching position going between two elementary schools bi-monthly. But, wildlife was incredible and she saw a lot of nature which was great. She has accepted a high school art teaching job in Hamilton, about 45 miles south of Missoula.

Then, we went to get some beach chairs from David and Maura and we went to the Blackfoot River about 10 miles from their house and we planted ourselves and looked at birds. Between Sibley's and Merlin and our eyes, we were able to see and identify quite a few, including some we think we had never before seen. We saw several more of Mark's birthday bird, the Hammond's fly catcher. We also saw a flock of cedar waxwings, several Western wood peewees and a brilliant, gorgeous Western tanager. We kept hearing  warbling vireos, but never we sure we spotted them. We think we saw pine siskins, but, again, were not 100% sure. At any rate, it was great and only in the 70s, so much cooler than yesterday.

We all had a late lunch at Five on Black where you pick five things to put in a bowl. Then, we went back to the homey back deck at their house and ate and chatted. After a bit of a break, we all had another piece of Mark's turtle chocolate cake and we said our goodbyes - some teary as it will be at least a year before we all meet again. 

However, it was a GREAT trip.

 June 2

 We were out the door at 4:00 a.m. for our flight from Missoula to Minneapolis. We only had 45 minutes wait before our plane from Minneapolis to Boston, but all went smoothly and we got to Boston at 2:12, which was only noon to us - how often do you fly so far without any hitches or delays? And, overall, the flights were smooth. We got an Uber to Concord.

Jecca and Willy flew in from Texas where Willy got ill and she brought him home as the hospital there was not good. It did not even take a patient history and did not order tests for possible infectious diseases, like from ticks. So, Dr. Allen Hutcheson, Willy's brother, recommended that Willy discharge himself and get home.

June 3, 4

2

      Hank and Otis flew in from their trip to Europe, both leaving Berlin after visits there and to Prague. Otis flew in from Newark on standby and Hank flew in from Heathrow. We had a nice time with them both. They gave a commentated slide show one night which was terrific.