This log is current to October 20, 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.

September 2, 2008 at Headquarters
On Saturday the temperature hit 93 degrees. Two days later, it dropped to 35. What an amazing change. Snow covers the nearby mountains and the forest fires have been dealt a wintry blow.

September 7, 2008 at Headquarters
The fires are almost out and snow is falling in the high mountains. We are planning our next expedition. Departure will be December 7. Tip for travelers connecting in Singapore: If your flight arrives in the night and your next flight leaves in the morning, you can book a room (6 hour minimum) in a hotel right in the terminal -- no paperwork, no messing with baggage. Walk off the plane into the transit lounge, check into your room, when it’s time for your next flight, walk a short distance and right onto your plane.

September 11, 2008 at Montana HQ:
Seven years ago today, we were on an island in extreme SE Indonesia when the attacks occurred in New York and Washington. Not long after, Muslim extremists began going hotel to hotel on Java, looking for Americans to take hostage. We remember this as the day that in some ways changed the world. We left Indonesia for our Thailand headquarters as soon as possible, to take stock. Cutting our Asia time short, we returned to the USA, bought a sailboat and cruised in safer waters.

This reminded us of the people we met while living aboard our sailboat named Pioneer and cruising America’s west coast and the Caribbean.

Here is one example, a fellow we met in North Carolina. Yes, those are scissors on his nose.

Indeed, sailing puts one in contact with people that span the human spectrum.

Here at headquarters, we are preparing for Oktoberfest. Our “Oompah Band” will play and great fun will be had. It’s a particularly busy day for Red Lodge Ales, the finest brewers in these parts.

September 15, 2008 at headquarters in Montana
We’ve posted a new video. Click here for our videos page. It’s the last item on that page. In it, Becky coasts on her bicycle down America’s most dramatic road, the Beartooth Highway.

September 23, 2008 at headquarters
The picture above reminded us of another fellow we met in North Carolina (right). Seemingly addicted to Karaoke, he could be found most nights in a pub near Oriental, NC.

In 2000, in Mexico, we ran across this avid accordion player (left).

Meanwhile, our band, Alte Kameraden (old friends) has four gigs lined up in southern Montana. When those are completed, we’ll launch our next expedition to SE Asia. Details coming.

September 30, 2008 at headquarters
Last summer’s forest fires spared the town of Red Lodge, but did enormous damage to the Custer National Forest to the west.

See more pictures in our Montana Photo Gallery.

October 5, 2008 at HQ
We played with the Kameraden Band (trumpet/drums) in Townsend and are preparing for Oktoberfest in Bozeman, MT this weekend. Then we’ll get back to preparing for our next Expedition in Asia.

October 11, 2008 at our Montana HQ
An early snow storm has dropped more than three FEET of snow on headquarters. Two days ago, the grass was green and we hadn’t had a flake of snow since last winter.

Vehicles are completely buried. More photos on our Montana Gallery Page.

October 13, 2008 at HQ
Before the storm was over, FOUR feet of snow had fallen in two and a half day. It was a stunning change from green grass and leaves on the trees. Neither of us has ever seen anything like it.

Officially 49 inches of snow fell. We were completely trapped in our community. Not even the Gypsy Wagon four-wheel-drive stood a chance of breaking through. Now we’re concerned about flooding when it all melts.

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