I found out from a neighbor at the KOA that there was a western art show at the Montana Expo Grounds in Great Falls. I decided that would make a nice break in the hot weather, so on Friday, off I went, with the dogs safely stowed away in the air-conditioned camper. 

Now, western art isn’t really my thing (probably because I’ve never been out west), but there was a lot of very impressive stuff there. The show benefits the CM Russell Museum, with its collections of western art (Charles M Russell and Frederic Remington are considered the two great western artists). Interesting, but still not my thing, until I came to the booth of Deb Schmit. Not only was her work distinctly different from everyone else’s, we had a good time chatting. One small watercolor caught my eye, but I would have to make some financial transfers to purchase it, so I promised to return the next day with Russ, who would hopefully agree with my choice.

I was about to head back to the car when I learned that there were TWO MORE BUILDINGS of art, so…

Along the midway, I came across a group of vintage campers, all owned by members of a women’s fly-fishing club called Sisters on the Fly. They were open for viewing, so in I went, and they were adorable! I didn’t get pictures of all of them (one was completely decorated in a Wonder Woman theme), but I chatted with the owners, and nearly forgot about the rest of the show.

The heat finally drove me back inside, though, and that’s when I met Jennifer Solberg, with whom I shared an immediate connection. And her jewelry, journals, and kaleidoscopes were beautiful! I had to have one of her journal necklaces—the perfect place to store some of the most important things I’ve learned in life and on this trip.

She offered to bring me extra leather ties the next day, and, since I’d be returning with Russ anyway, I promised to see her again. We parted with hugs. An instant friend!

Russ had just arrived when I finally returned, and was thrilled to find out that they’d just restocked their ice cream at the camp store. (You can guess where we went next.) The next day, I finally convinced him to come to the show with me, by promising that I wouldn’t be long. In fact, Russ and Jennifer’s husband Troy hit it off almost as well as Jennifer and I had, as he peppered Russ with questions about his trip. I showed Jennifer the messages I’d already inscribed in my journal, as we compared life stories and hard-won wisdom. We stayed with them for almost an hour before I pulled Russ away to confirm my choice at Deb Schmit’s booth. Russ immediately chose the same painting I did, enjoyed talking to Deb, and I happily walked off with a great memento of our trip. (BTW, he also found the vintage campers fascinating, and spent quite a while talking to the owner of one of them. For a guy who doesn’t want to go to craft shows, he can be surprisingly hard to dislodge.)

Russ wanted to see the Lewis and Clark Museum next to the state park I’d visited earlier, so off we went. It was an immersive journey through their expedition, from planning to finish, and we only left when they forced us out at closing. We returned to camp for more ice cream and a good night’s sleep before both of us headed out the next morning.