Part 5: Montana Grizzly and Wolf Center

This year, we drove into West Yellowstone to visit the Grizzly and Wolf Center.  It was so cool.  This is not a zoo.  It’s an animal sanctuary for MT animals that have been injured and can’t return to the wild.  It was really fun to get an up close look and learn about these amazing animals. 

We got the biggest laugh, along with some people passing by at Lily Grace stopping to take selfies with all the carved animal statues.  

The wolves were beautiful.  

This fellow hurt his wing and is at the sanctuary because he can no longer fly. 

Part 4: Yellowstone on Horseback

Once again we did a trail ride through Yellowstone National Park.  This year’s trail was really pretty.  We rode by a lot of winding steams.  The thing that was the same as last year was the PAIN.  People, I’m telling you, riding a horse for four hours will kill your knees and give you quite the sore backside.  With that said, Matt and I thought we had a good plan.  Lily Grace adores this trail ride and couldn’t wait to do it again.  Matt and I just knew we couldn’t do another four hours of that torture but two hours to Lily Grace was like punishment.  So, Matt and I thought we would pay for the four hours but told the guide we could only do three.  How bad could that be?  We would use up some of that time eating lunch on the mountainside and Gracie would get her feel of horseback riding with her favorite horse, Comanche. 

Well, the good news is, Matt and I made it.  The reality is….it still hurt!!!  Matt and I both were beyond thrilled to see that car. 

Of course Lily Grace loved every last minute of it and could have kept going which brings me to that ice pack that I was given at the ER.

Well, before we left home, Matt told LG that she should put on some socks to cover her ankles but of course that wouldn’t have been cute in her eyes so ankle socks it was.  We no more get in the car after our ride when she kicks in with the complaints that her ankles are really hurting and swelling and that she has been bitten by something.  People this kid does not do well with bug bites.  She swells up!  I look back at her in the backseat and sure enough she’s red and swelling.  We get her back to the house and put on some Benadryl cream and head on down to the river.  The itching and hurting is getting worse and it’s getting late anyway so we come off the river and go get her in the bath.  After her bath, we fed her, rubbed her with some Cortisone cream, propped her up on the chaise lounge and put the ice pack on her ankles.  Thankfully the next morning she was all better.  I will tell you, that’s not the end of that ice pack though. 

While the riding may be rough, the views are amazing!

She loves feeding the horses after lunch.  Here she is feeding John Deer some carrots.

This year, Lily Grace rode Comanche, Matt rode Skip and I rode Chico.

Miss Cassie was one of our guides.

Here you have it!  The now popular chaise lounge and ER ice pack that we all got to know well.  HA!

Montana Part 3: A Rainbow, A Brown and a Fall

On our second day, we met up with our favorite fishing guide Nichole for a full day float trip down the Madison River.  I won’t lie folks, it was cold!  There was actually snow on Sunday evening and the snow cap mountains were a treat.  By lunch things were looking up and started to get very exciting. 

Matt landed a massive Rainbow Trout.  It truly is one of the largest you get on the river.  It’s rare and super exciting.  Matt fought for 5 minutes before getting close enough that Nichole could net it.  You have never seen a man so excited.  We all were!  It really was something to see.

Next up, Gracie Cakes.  She has been working on her cast and boy has she gotten good.  Last year, she didn’t catch anything on our float trip down but this year was very different.  Like I said, she’s been preparing.  We were all anxious as we wanted her to catch one so bad.  Nichole, just as last year, was amazing with her and she and LG together are just a riot. 

As we floated down, Gracie Cakes was constantly casting  and setting.  And then it happened.  She set and oh yes, she had hooked a large brown trout.  She held on and only asked me to help her steady her rod as he put up quite a fight.  I was yelling for Matt to get the camera, Matt was yelling instructions to Gracie and Nichole was working fast and furious to row to the river bank to net Gracie's fish.  Y’all we must have looked and sounded crazy coming down that river.  We were all so excited and anxious to get that thing netted.  You have never seen three people so happy and a little girl so proud and excited.  It was awesome!!!!!!

You know, people often stop us and ask how we turned LG onto fly fishing and they are just so taken with her love for it and how good at it she really is. Working a fly rod isn't easy.  I don’t have an anwer for that except she puts her heart in all she does and does most everything with a smile. 

And you know, that brown trout was bigger than any brown Matt and I have landed.  As you can imagine, Matt was all too proud to send that picture of his girl out to all his colleagues. 

However, that’s not the end of this story.  You see, we started on the river around 10:00 and came off very tired around 6:00.  We headed to the Grizzly Bar restaurant, remember, the only one in town and had dinner.  While there we talked about how we were so tired and couldn’t wait to get back to the house to shower and relax.  Well, it sort of happened that way.  You see, I got my shower, Matt got his and Gracie soaked in the tub upstairs.  She yelled down that she needed some soap.  I took it up and on my way back down the staircase slipped and fell down about four steps.  I won’t lie, it hurt like crazy and scared the britches off me.  My elbow caught most the fall and needless to say, it looked awful.  I couldn't touch or bend if for a while.  There was nothing to do but visit the ER as we were afraid it might be broken.  Well forty miles later we were in Ennis at the ER.  Now folks, let me just tell you that I have never been to a friendlier ER.  Mind you, it was almost 10 p.m. when we go there.  There were only about 5 people on staff.  Do you know, they actually asked us if we would like something to drink once we got signed in and back to a room.  Now you know it’s a small town when they have to call someone in to take the x-ray.  Sarah came in and that sweet lady even let LG go back and help take the x-ray, explained what they were looking for and let her see it all.  It goes without say that LG didn’t mind that impromptu visit at all.  Everyone there was so friendly and I will admit we all got the biggest laugh off of this visit.  Even the doctor had his green cargo Dickies and a button down shirt on and it really reminded you that you were in a small town and it was so sweet and again friendly.  Luckily, my elbow wasn’t broken.  The doctor said, I just badly bruised the bones and nerves. I now have the big black and blue bruise to go along with it.  I was sent home with an ice pack that would see a lot of use before this vacation was over.  More on that later ….

A couple of serious anglers ready to float down the Madison. ha!

Lily Grace was beyond excited to get back to MT to fish with our favorite guide, Miss Nichole.  

Just finished lunch on the bank and about to head back out.

Look at the bend in his rod.

Matt working to land a huge rainbow.  That trout didn't make it easy.  Nichole managed to net it and boy was there some cheers of excitement when we saw what Matt had hooked.   I will say, it was the talk on the river as another guide floated over to see it.

What a treat!!!!

Shortly after Matt's big catch, I landed this brown.  He was quite the flopper so as you can see, Gracie and I got a good laugh and Matt got a good shot of his belly.  Not the shot you are going for. 

Next up, Gracie who hooked into a really large brown.  Look at the concentration on her face.  I only helped her steady the pole since he was so big and fought hard, but she did all the work.  

Now talk about cheers and excitement once this fellow was in the net!!!!!!!!!  It was so much fun!

We were graced with several bald eagles swimming up and down the stream.  Such a sight!

Lily Grace took this beautiful pictures the Palisades on our float down.

This year, Miss Nichole let LG help her walk the boat in to the ramp.  Of course, LG was all smiles and excited to help.

Look at those snow cap mountains from the snow the night before.

Believe it or not I snapped this one handed shot from the car on the way to the ER.  The sunsets in MT are so breath taking.  

Matt took this at 9:30 p.m. outside the ER.  The sky can get so pink  and you could just stand and stare.

Well I may not have looked my best, but at least I had just showered when I fell and we all had a good laugh and made the best of our time in the ER.  Thanks so much to the Ennis Medical Center for making a bad situation so pleasant and memorable.

Part 2: Montana

Our first full day was a rainy one.  We ventured into West Yellowstone to do a little souvenir shopping and in between heavy bouts of rain, explored the ranch and fished the Madison.  It was very chilly the first few days but it didn't affect us or our having fun!  

It was chilly and rainy our first full day on the river.  I was on my way out when I saw this.  It still melts me to watch Matt as a daddy taking care of Gracie.  I'm guessing it always will. 

Within about 10 minutes, LG landed a white fish.

Have mercy!  

Sometimes, you just want to sit and explore in the water.

I also landed a nice white fish.