05 09 2020 --------------------------------------------- Tomorrow is mothers day, and it will be nice to spend time with my mother. But I am looking forward to Monday. Monday I'll be heading up Scalp Mountain way with a new axe and a shovel and a ukulele. It's going to be a nice break. The only way to beat the loneliness seems to be solitude. ------------------------------------------------------- 05 10 2020 --------------------------------------------- It was nice. We went for a walk, ate some pie, went for a hike and ate some more pie. Good pie too, with lemons that she brought back up from their lemon tree in Arizon a. My brother and his kids face-timed right before I left. How many mothers and grondmothers across the count ry today were delighted by screaming little kids with the heads of unicorns and animated sharks. I am so glad that I don't have an iPhone. Scalp Mountain is still on for tomorrow but I may not actually go to Scalp Mountain. There were some pretty nice looking places along the Swan today and it's quite a bit closer. There have been some grizzly sightings in the area over the last few weeks though; a sow and two cubs. I do not want to screw aroung with that. So maybe it'sll be scalp mountain after all. ------------------------------------------------------- 05 12 2020 --------------------------------------------- Got to the dirt road yesterday around two in the afternoon; a little later than I'd anticipated but not bad. The road up to Boulder Creek was passable for the first eight of twelve miles. I turned around when it became evident that the snowy roads would not be improving. I haven't even ascended scalp mountain. Parked a couple turn-outs back: a place with a view. I've pretty much been sitting in the back of the truck reading since then. It got cold last night. Too cold to stretch my legs out in the sleeping bag. And I need to but a pillow. My neck is not happy. The camp stove isn't working. The needle valve seems to have some gunk in it. Gas will come drizzling out for a little while but always chokes off after a couple minutes. I managed to boil water for a cup of coffee but it took an hour of fiddling and a couple dozen matches. The needle valve is soakking in dish soap. I'm not optimistic. So far, so good. -------------------------------------------------------