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Latest Update: June 23, 2001 by Ben Marcus

12:00 NOON SATURDAY JUNE 23, 2001 AN RV PARK IN CARDWELL

ODOMETER:
TRIP METER:

MONEY
One night in RV park with water and power: $16
Mile and two shower tokens: 1.80

Well this is pleasant. I am under a tree at a picnic bench in an RV park in Montana. I now know where I am, for certain. I took a sextant reading this morning and determined that I am in Cardwell, near the intersections of Highway 95 and ???. Last night I detoured through Highway ??? along the ??? River, past the Lewis and Clark Caverns. I will probably go back that way to check out the caverns and that nice river, and go up to Three Forks by way of ???

Here comes Ike, he has been exploring the brush. He is a good companion sometimes. Very pleasant to talk to.

I am reading Undaunted Courage, the biography of Meriwhether Lewis, and it is good stuff. Lewis was Virginia gentry, a neighbor to Thomas Jefferson. He didn't like the life of a Virginia planter, and wanted nothing more than "to Roam." Right now in the book he has joined the militia to put down the 1794 Whiseky Rebellion in the trans-Appalachia west. He stayed and joined the Army after the Rebellion was put down, btu he was transferred to a Rifle Company after being brought up on charges of Conduct Unbecoming an Office. He insulted another officer and challenged him to a duel. He was acquitted, but put in the rifle company whose Captain was William Clark. And so it goes.

I can't say what project I am working on right now because spies might be reading this. But after I'm done with Live Like Jay I have another project for Swell that I am looking forward to.

The birds are chirping, the semis are growling past and there are some horses grazing just across a little creek. Montana is nice.

A friend who has just hooked up with oneathem Silicon Valley gaziliioanires responded to one of me e-mails, saying:

You're silly Ben Marcus.

I've always wanted to visit Montana. I hear amazing things about it. I keep asking _ _ _ _ if we can buy a place there for the winter but he says the insects are huge up there. Who cares! I know I'll love it!!

So you had an epic time? What made you decide to go there?

I'm going to respond like this:

Dear _ _ _ _

I am here because it is there. And I wanted to catch some trout.

Regarding your lust for the Montana good rural life. I recommend you utilize the full power of your feminine wiles-which I have spent many long, lonely nights imagining-to convince this rich feller of yours to come up here and buy you a spread.

A meager one million dollars America will buy you a substantial chunk of prime Montana riverbottom, with all the trimmings: trout-laden rivers, snow-and-tree and elk-covered mountains, plus a quaint main house, Historical Register barn, and a couple hundred acres covered in three-foot tall grass for horses and cattle and dogs and cats and children.

They're practically giving it away. Half the fun will be meandering all around Montana to figure out where to throw down.

Ted Turner can live anywhere and he owns half the state, apparently, pissing off a lot of the locals because he turns most of his land into nature conserves: no hunting, no fishing.

Anyway, work those wiles, girl, and you'll be in the saddle soon enough. Or something like that.

Something like that, anyway. That is what I would do if I had an extra million. There are ranches for sale everywhere.

I am running out of battery time and I have to write a long e-mail to Evan about Project V. Ike is back again, and we'll be out of here soon.

I also may write a nasty e-mail to someone at SURFER, congratulating them on the WWF ad in the latest issue. What is next: Tractor pull? Jerry Springer show? Thank God for the Journal

It may start raining. It was clear yesterday.

16:58 SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2001 STILL AT THE RV PARK, BUT LEAVING

TRIP METER: 55258
ODOMETER: 1181

MONEY
Two ice creams: $2.00
Current AOL charges: $104.15

Stupid cat. While I was showering and downloading and e-mailing, Ike took of into the bush along the river and went Lewis and Clarking. I may rename him LC, for Lewis and Clark. I was ready to go about five hours ago, but Ike was out poking around. I went calling into the bush for him a few times after a guy assured me there were no rattlers in the bush, only bull snakes.

I dumped the trash, charged batteries for camera and razor and computer. I killed time waiting for the Black and White one to come back, wondering if I'd ever see him again.

While downloading the last messages I was approached by a couple of down on their luck guys who were heading for Idaho Falls. They both reeked of booze, and I gave one of them some fishing lures and a couple of bucks. The other one wasn't too bad and was semi-intelligent. He had taken a course in desktop publishing, but preferred to build houses.

They were having clutch problems or something and I was tempted to help them out, but they were gone.

I logged on one more time and got a communiquÚ from Jeff Galbraith. He'll be in Boise on Tuesday and will take a bus to Ketchum if I don't pick him up. He also gave me a Fed Ex address for Smith Optical. I called Eric Nelson to nudge him into sending me the Whipped video and the Jay tribute. It will figure in the story. He thinks they might have raised $20,000 for Kim Moriarity.

So I had done everything I could do, including dumping the stinky cat box (duh) and was up to page 66 of the Meriwhether Lewis book. He is now President Thomas Jefferson's personal secretary and lives in the White House with him (weird, when I wrote that the guy on the radio said "White House." I'm like, freaking out.

So, I'm getting a better idea of the guy who came right through here. That river I saw yesterday was the Jefferson. Now the radio guy is talking about that BTO/BOC/Edgar Winter and 30 other bands extravaganza coming up. I saw the location for it yesterday. I don't think I'll hang around, no matter how much Jimmy Vaughn rocks.

It is hot and muggy and sweaty. My kind of weather (not) Time to hit the road and cool off. Mike told me check out the Sacajewa Inn in Three Forks, and I'm going to do that and keep driving until the light runs out. I'm heading for Yellowstone now, and then to Sun Valley. I have to do some writing, too. But the book I'm reading should help with that.

Oh, I guess I should start enumerating my good deeds like I did when I went up to the Yukon. Today I gave some down and outers a few bucks, and e-mailed a couple of photos to the biker couple.


What? Me, worry?

Ike finally came out of the bush at 16:56, with a "What, Me Worry" look. Stupid cat. Wasted half a day, although I was forced to do some reading I need to do.

 



TRAVELS WITH IKE
June 23, 2001
June 22, 2001
June 21, 2001
June 20, 2001
June 19, 2001
June 18, 2001
June 17-18, 2001
June 16, 2001
June 15, 2001
June 14 , 2001

NORTH COAST
March 14, 2001
March 11, 2001

March 8, 2001
March 4, 2001
March 3, 2001
March 1, 2001
February 20, 2001
February 19, 2001
February 18, 2001

February 17, 2001

February 16, 2001


ALASKA 2000
November 19, 2000
November 18, 2000
November 15, 2000
November 14, 2000
November 14, 2000
November 12-13, 2000
November 11, 2000
November 9, 2000
November 8, 2000
November 4-6, 2000
November 3, 2000
November 1, 2000
October 31, 2000
October 29, 2000
October 27, 2000
October 26, 2000
October 25, 2000
October 22, 2000
October 22, 2000
October 21, 2000
October 19, 2000
October 17, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 16, 2000
October 14, 2000
October 12, 2000
October 11, 2000
October 10, 2000
October 10, 2000
October 9, 2000
October 8, 2000
October 7, 2000
October 6, 2000
October 6, 2000
October 5, 2000
October 4, 2000
October 3, 2000
October 2, 2000
October 1, 2000
September 30, 2000
September 29, 2000
September 28, 2000
September 27, 2000
September 25, 2000
September 24, 2000
September 23, 2000
September 22, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 21, 2000
September 20, 2000
September 19, 2000
September 19, 2000
September 18, 2000
September 17, 2000
September 16, 2000
September 15, 2000
September 15, 2000
September 14, 2000
September 13, 2000
September 12, 2000
September 10, 2000
September 10, 2000
September 8, 2000

September 8, 2000

PHOTOS
October 1, 2000
October 1, 2000
September 27, 2000

 

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