We hit the road at 7am. Stopped at a rest area near Salem, Ore. Miki was getting nervous. Then stopped in Woodburn for breakfast. Miki was determined to get out of the truck. Jerry saved some sausage for Miki. I put a small piece of the pill to calm her down in the sausage. Wow it works. We have the back seat full of boxes and a cooler. There is one small den area with a pillow for Miki. She crawls in it and sleeps.

Stopped at Hood River, at a Dairy Queen. Needless to say, we got goodies. Yummy. At the next rest area we stopped to walk Miki. It is amazing what a little white pill can do… Got coffee and lemonade there. On the road again. In Umatilla at a gift shop. I got 2 hand towels for the new 5^th wheel. Heading for Walla Walla . It is 2pm and Miki is still calm. We traveled to Orofino Idaho. Got a motel for the night. We had stayed there once a few years ago. It is a beautiful drive. We left Miki in the motel and went into town for dinner. When we got back we had to decide which bed to use. A double in a dark room with the air conditioner. Which was needed. Or the Queen one in the other hot room. We chose the double. When I would get up during the night, Miki was on the queen bed. Pretty good, we have the smaller bed and the dog gets the bigger one.

We gassed up at $1.63. We took $55. Got coffee to go. The drive was through the mountains and along a river. We headed towards Missoula. It is hot out. Stopped at Knife-Edge Camp grounds to let Miki run. (That sounds better than for me to use a bathroom.) So far she is riding OK without being doped up. Entered Montana at 9am. Stopped at Lolo, just outside Missoula and had breakfast. Off again. Beautiful scenery through the mountains. Heading towards Helena. At a look out point we notice smoke everywhere. A lady told us there was a bad fire down that way. We headed down to town and on Highway 12. They were evacuating people from the area we were driving around. We took secondary road to get away from the fire. We stopped at Lewistown Montana at 5pm. Paid an extra $5. For Miki. It was too hot to go out for dinner so I went across the street and bought hamburgers, fries and came back. We ate in the room. At Lewistown the smoke was there too. We called Steve 3 times before he answered. He said it would take us hours to get to his place as we drive like old people. We will show him… Tried to call Rick twice. No answer...I wonder if he is partying.

Filled up with gas. $1.58 a gallon. We took 72.45. We took back roads. We saw deer. A doe and fawn, 4 bucks with nice antlers, Antelope. Jerry killed 2 birds with the truck all in 10 minutes. It is 10:10 and we are 45 miles from Sydney, right in the border of North Dakota. Stopped at Sydney for lunch. Went to a drive in Hardies. I got take out and we ate at a picnic table. So hot. Saw a paper that said the fire at Helena was still out of control. Entered North Dakota at 11:20 am. Just several hours from Steve. Arrived at Steve’s at 3pm. He wasn’t home yet so we opened the 5^th wheel and looked it over. Really nice. Steve got home and he and I went to town and got sandwiches for dinner. Dad and Steve changed the universal joints in the pick up. While they did that the 4 little girls from next door came over to visit. Slept in the waterbed. I had forgot how hard it is to get in and out of. Or maybe I’m older and can’t get up and down so easily. Miki wouldn’t come downstairs with us. So she slept up with Steve.

We got up after Steve left for work. Jerry and I went to Menards to get things for the 5^th wheel. Got some Plexiglas for the walls next to the stove. Don’t want to ruin the wallpaper. If we didn’t put it up, I wouldn’t cook. Also got a small BBQ for outside cooking. Then to the grocery store for food when we go out camping. Steve got home and he and Jerry did odd jobs on the 5^th wheel. I made a potato salad. Took some over to Emma and Everet. Emma was still in bed but visited with me. She isn’t well. She is 80 and Everet is 95. Really great people. I told them I was cooking a beef tongue and would bring them some for dinner. When I cooked the tongue, the girls next door were very interested. They watched everything I did. I told them I would give them a taste when it was done. The littlest girl, age 8 said it smelled good, but sounded awful. The 2 youngest girls were brave enough to try it. But not the 2 oldest. We took a plate of food over to Everet and Emma. They sure appreciated it. We sat outside and Miki had a great time. The girls played with her and wore her out.

After Steve went to work, I went to K-Mart to get more stuff for the 5^th wheel. This is fun outfitting it. I got 2 pillows, a blanket and other odds and ends. When Steve came home we went to the recycling place for aluminum cans. It is set up for the handicapped have a place to work. Then to the Mall. Got a new electric coffeepot for the 5^th wheel. Steve got his dad a screw driver-drill set. We packed for the camping trip. Steve went over and dog napped Lacy to go with us. A friend of Steve’s "Jake" came over to go camping with us. She is a cute little gal. We headed out to go to a State park up near the Canadian border. It is on a lake, Metigoshe. A really nice park. We will stay 3 days. For dinner we had polish sausage, potato salad, beans and chips. The 5^th wheel is great. So much room with the slide out. The bed is very comfortable. Easier to get in and out of than the waterbed. We have electricity, so we kept the Air conditioner running. I think all slept good. The extra 2 beds are a little short. A tall person has to sleep cross wise in them.

Mom taking notes;           Steve and Lacy relaxing

Everyone except Jake was up early. She likes to sleep and it takes her half a day to wake up. When she gets into a car she is out again. When I woke up I smelled a skunk. As it turned out a trailer next to us had 3 dogs and two of them got sprayed by the skunk. Jake and I and Steve left for the Peace Gardens. It is about 20 miles from here. What a pretty place. It is right on the border of America and Canada. The border goes through the middle of it. Lots of pretty flowers. Very interesting. 

There was a wedding going on while we were there. One sign said 10 people planted one hundred thousand flowers. On the way home Steve put $30. In the gas tank. Stopped in the town of Bottineau. Got a few groceries. Back to camp. It was about a 100-mile trip. Dinner was BBQ steak, potato salad and cottage cheese. Later Steve and Jake made S'mores. Surprise Jake got Jerry to eat one. Steve and I was shocked…It was the second one he had ever eaten. He still doesn’t like them, too sweet for a sour old man.