4th of July, 2010 at Fort Missoula, Montana

On the 4th of July we went to Fort Missoula.  They had lots of activities going on and a lot of exhibits.

 This guy was making rope.  One end was turning the twine while he held this tool which kept the twine from tangling and made it twist into a rope.

Kent found this cute baby tractor.  It looks like a toy next to him.

 

This tractor sure looks familiar

This is a saw dust burner.  They moved several old/historic items to Fort Missoula.  The tractor parade was just getting started.

This is looking up inside the sawdust burner.  It almost looks like a stained glass.

Dave is standing in front of a very large horse drawn skidder for removing logs from the forest. 

An original lookout that was moved to Fort Missoula.

This guy was telling stories about lightning storms and being in the tower.

You could tell he had a lot of passion for it and really had enjoyed being a lookout. 

 Julia and Kent enjoying some good eats.

This lady was enjoying the music. 

We watched her dance around the gazebo while we ate lunch.

She told Julia that her son was embarrassed by her dancing, but she didn't care "that's what Mothers are for".

 These are chains.  I have heard of things being measured out in chains, but have never known what that really meant.  The one on the right shows a single chain.  This is what surveyors used to measure distances.  So now when I see/hear a reference to building 5 chains of fireline per hour, I will have a better idea of what that means.

 

The Missoula Iris Society has a flower bed display at the fort.  It is late in the season for Iris' to be blooming,  There were just few still hanging on.  The clamatis on the right was growing up a trelis.  I thought that it was an extra pretty color (but that might be because it is purple)

Julia and Kent left later that afternoon to go to Yellowstone.

Dave and I went back to Missoula later that evening to watch the fireworks at the Missoula Mall.

We thought that this was an odd location to have fireworks.

But they had a live brass band playing patriotic music while everyone set up their chairs to watch before it got dark.

Dave bought me a bag of cotton candy that we ate while watching the fireworks.

It was a little chilly that evening and was threatening to rain with sprinkles now and then.