[a/s] White Sulphur Springs, Montana - July 9, 2000

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Today, Sunday was a lazy day... the best kind. Sometimes I forget I can relax 
because I feel like I have to always be running and seeing things.

Late morning I did get the urge to go check out a sign I had seen last night 
on the way to the restaurant.  It was a sign that led to the Newlan Creek 
Resevoir.  Good idea, checking out the sign.  The resevoir is beautiful... 
the water is low because apparently there was only one big snow this past 
winter so not much runoff when spring came. Even with low water it's 
beautiful.  See photo.  It looks narrow... we are actually up high and you 
are looking over a bank so you can't see how wide it is.

We saw people sunbathing on its beach, swimmers, people fishing in a small 
boat and people water skiing behind a Ski-Doo.  There were a few campers, 
travel trailers, a fiver and some truck campers.  You can boondock there (no 
hookups) for up to 14 days per month FREE!!  If you like to boondock, this is 
a perfect place.  

We hung out for a while, the dogs sniffing all the little gopher holes.... 
then decide to drive over the dam and see where the dirt road led.  We went 
past some wonderful ranches, one was the Ringling Brothers Circus cattle 
ranch (?). Don't ask me.........

I did get some interesting gossip in the antique shop yesterday.  Seems the 
Texas woman who owns the 6666 Ranch (in Texas) is buyin' up land up here.  
She offered a guy 1 million dollars for his spread, he declined so she 
offered him 2 million and said she would buy him another place anywhere he 
wanted.  He now has a place near Helena. (c:  One place she bought had a 
histoic old lodge... people offered to remove it, but she couldn't be 
bothered and just tore it down and burned it. )c:  

She doesn't like the White Sulphur Springs Airport because the runway is so 
dirty.... gets the plane dirty I guess.  Anyway, she built a runway on her 
place, but it's too windy to use many times.... so she bought a huge 
mechanical sweeper thing and has the WSS airport runway swept before she 
lands (c: LOL

Her late husband won the 6666 ranch in a poker game, holding 4 sixes.  Then 
they found oil... supposedly brings in $1,000,000.00.... a day!!!!!

Needless to say she isn't endearing herself to the locals... tearing down the 
lodge and all.  She is building quite a place has up to 60 workers there at a 
time.

I can see why the rich and famous would like it here. Lots of room, people 
who would be more apt to leave them alone than fawn over them.

When we got back to town we drove around looking at the local houses.... many 
of them are quite charming... no rhyme or reason.  Some garish colors, others 
very tasteful....one old brick house with white painted trim and one huge 
victorian "painted lady"  It would be hard to choose if I had to. 

Many of the in town houses have barns, most are aged natural wood.... some 
log, some board and batten.  There are some horses living right in town. I 
love driving neighborhoods and looking at the way the people really live... 
the big ranches are awesome... but the towns have a certain appeal too.

After dinner we walked over to the place across the road and I made friends 
with the mules.  

We are leaving in the morning...heading North.... next stop... Great Falls. 

Hunter