This log is current to August 28, 2008

July 7, 2008 in Montana
Montana is the perfect place to have located Expedition Headquarters.

The old west is alive, as was evident during Red Lodge, Montana’s July 4 parade.

This little girl is as home on her horse as her dog is. We didn’t ride horses, but the 23 players of our band (Alte Kameraden) did play on a float.

The music festival is behind us now, and the Festival of Nations is coming up. We are participating in everything that comes along, even while planning our next big adventure.

Late this year, we will fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we have rented a temporary headquarters from which to explore new areas. We will complete a trip up the Mekong River from the Golden Triangle area into southern China. We’ll post more details as we make arrangements.

Meanwhile, we are loving life in southern Montana, as Don continues to recover from his third major spinal surgery in as many years.

We taped the 4th of July rodeo and reduced it to a ten minute clip. The quality drops when it’s reduced to a size playable online, but you’ll still see some exciting action. To view it, click HERE for our videos page. It’s the near the bottom of the page. The item after that is wild bucking! After that is bull riding!

July 21, 2008 at headquarters
After spending time with friends in Jackson, Wyoming, we drove through Yellowstone Park, arrived at Expedition Headquarters, and jumped into the hot tub. Moments after Becky got out, she looked into the yard, where a large black bear was watching.

Unfortunately, there are people nearby who feed wildlife, which is against the law and not good for the animals. It can also produce dangerous animal-human confrontations. A notice in Yellowstone Park emphasizes the point with this notice: :A fed bear is a dead bear.”

On July 26, 2008 fire broke out in the remote mountains west of Expedition Headquarters.

As it worked eastward, toward the ski run above town, slurry bombers dropped tons of fire retardant.

See larger photos in our Montana Photo Gallery.

July 31, 2008
See two fire videos at the bottom of our videos page.

August 1, 2008
Courtesy of the Billings Gazette, this shot clearly shows the slurry bombing activity on the mountain about Expedition Headquarters.

The fire is 10,000+ acres and growing today in strong winds. We have volunteered to help evacuate the town of Red Lodge, in the unlikely event it comes to that.

August 4, 2008
The fire is much more under control, but numerous activities -- including the biggest event of the year, Festival of Nations (photo from 2006) -- were canceled as a precaution.

Meanwhile, the Expedition continues to plan its next trip to SE Asia.

August 13, 2008
We continue to plan for our return to SE Asia. After headquartering in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we will travel into Laos and southern China, perhaps Vietnam and Cambodia.

August 22, 2008 at Headquarters
About a mile Headquarters in southern Montana, a bear broke into the Beartooth Nature Center and killed a llama that had been brought in to protect other animals.

Officials believe he was doing his job when attacked by the bear in the middle of the night.
They characterize the other animals as “freaked out.”

About Burma: The Free Burma Rangers (www.freeburmarangers.org) report that relief supplies intended for starving villagers in Burma have been diverted to the Army, which continues its rampage against tribal minorities. Here is an account from one villager who was captured for several days. The photo of children fleeing in advance of the Burma Army was taken and sent at considerable risk.

“The Army beat me continuously. They told me ‘we cannot stop beating you because you are a stubborn man,’ then they beat me again.

“I told them I do not support any armed group and they told me that Karen people tell too many lies, and then they beat me again. I asked them to kill me but they did not kill me. They covered my head with a plastic bag and beat me continuously. They beat me till my back was broken and my chest was pain.

They sent me to militia's quarter guard and detain me 3 days. There were five rods with which the Burmese Army beat me. They covered my head with a plastic bag eight times, one hour each time till I couldn't breathe; when I tried to breathe they would take off the plastic bag and then cover me again.”

On our upcoming Expedition to SE Asia, we will spend time with the heroic Rangers who are risking their lives to help victimized villagers in Burma.

August 28, 2008 at HQ
The fire west of HQ is under control, but one west of Cody, Wyoming southwest of us) has reached 60,000 acres. This map spans 28 miles.

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