We start Tuesday morning in a cold and gray Hardin and stop in Big Timber to see Caleb’s mom. We met her at Lions Club Park, so I’m not dealing with a trailer in a driveway, and walked the perimeter, seeing a bunny and stepping in icy grass before walking to the IGA (local grocery store) for a 45-minute visit.

Our next stop will be in Bozeman, near Montana State University at the American Computer and Robotics Museum. We’re given a short tour of the first two exhibit rooms by Ryan, who is thrilled about their collection, some first editions, signed originals, and pieces/parts made by their founding creators to honor their place in the timeline of technology advancement.

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site is only open for another hour when we get there. The ranger is holding a cat, a required part of the park, to maintain the accuracy of details. We say hello to the fuzzy feline, walk the perimeter and watch the deer, cross the river, and pass the hay elevator (Beaverside Haystacker) as we approach the home and barn area.

There is a calf, still timid of people, a garage with an impressive wagon collection, and a beautiful view of the mountains. With the help of another ranger, we find the return to the exit and realize we will have to come back when we have time to see more and take a guided tour of the residence. We skipped (or missed) the stops in Billings, so we got to Caleb’s sister’s house in Missoula a half day early.

I help unpack the boxes from the trailer and then go for a walk as I’m feeling overwhelmed by one dog barking and another whining. They will calm down as the evening does. I help chop veggies for corn chowder, and Jessi makes cheese and parsley biscuits while the kids hang out sometimes with us or in their rooms or outside with the chickens. Full of food and conversation, we make our way upstairs to the guest room.

Wednesday morning is coffee with Jake, printing necessary documents with Jessi’s help, and then running around town to get things in order before the hike. I got the zip code wrong on the change-of-address form, so we’ll see how that goes. I usually do it online, but it’s nice to do things in person in a town that feels small and has great customer service.

We’ll get over 350 ft. of elevation on our 2.5-mile hike in Patti Canyon with Jessi before going back to the house. We repacked the car, finished emptying the trailer, and read while Jessi napped before her night shift. We make crepes with the kids, Caleb attempting a smiley face, and top them with lemon curd and Nutella, among the options available. Jake gets home late, but we’re in bed early.

We get in the car Thursday morning to finish the drive west and notice an “S” crack in the windshield, a stress fracture from the replacement done two months ago. Caleb will schedule us an appointment for Friday afternoon in Everett near his uncle’s place. We pass into Pacific Time as we cross into Idaho and walk an OHV road between blocks of sun and shade to stretch our legs and possibly see elk poo.

Washington state has some of its farm crops labeled (as seen from the road), especially the alfalfa, and a field of timothy grass, an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe, of which I didn’t know the name. Of all the plants, these types seem to get the least of my attention. We need to get out of the car again, and Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum has a park that mentions having space for parking a trailer.

We walk over to Dawson Park and along part of the No. 9 Mine Walking Tour that explores the remnants of the most extensive coalfields in the state. It produced approximately 64 million tons of coal that powered steam ships and locomotives until 1963, ending the Northern Pacific Railway’s 77-year-long operation in Kittitas County.

We stopped at Thai and Taps in Snohomish for dinner because we decided to drive through (plans of the original itinerary) to Oak Harbor and would be driving into sunset for the first time on this trip. We bring our bags in and get cozy, knowing we have a few days with Uncle Ed before we’re back on the road and taking the scenic route to Missoula.

Friday is a slow morning with coffee, watching the birds in the backyard, and a squirrel named Stubby. The afternoon is spent in Everett getting our windshield replaced while Ed keeps us company, and Aunt Lorraine stays home to make us chicken and dumplings that are delicious.

Saturday finds us at Windjammer Park with Lorraine on her two-mile path that she incorporates into her morning walk options on the island. There is plenty of driftwood, loud seagulls, broken purple shells, gusts of wind, and two shy boxers on a walk, too. The old windmill is no more as the facilities have been upgraded.

Ed is making us waffles as we walk in the door. I could get used to being closer to family who keeps me moving, talking, and eating. Ed will stay and grill meat for the family’s late lunch we have planned at 3 pm, while Caleb and I walk over to his Aunt Jamie’s to talk with her and husband Kevin, and pet Zoey, their shih-tzu, and just one of their four dogs.

She will bring me a little squeaky ball to throw for a while, and then show me her polka dot slipper toy. Back at the house, I get to meet Jamie’s oldest son, Donald (maybe 30 years old), and his girlfriend of four years, Brandie. He’s a welder, and she’s a diesel mechanic. He asked her, “Can I get your number so I can send you memes?”

The eight of us will move from a circle of chairs in the sun to around the fire until the 99% illuminated moon is high over the trees. We mostly talk about military life with 84 years among five of us, then travel, and good times spent in the woods. The latest night yet, but we’re making memories.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, so while the moms spend the day with one of their sons each, we will explore the hills of Deception Pass. We see groups of Chrysomelinae (broad-bodied leaf beetle) congregating on some perennial herbs as we work up a sweat over varying terrain. We have moments of solitude, as most other spectators have gathered on the beach to watch the water eddy from a more eye-level view.

We return to the house, let the rain pass, and then walk the neighborhood. I cuddle on the couch with a white fluffy blanket, and after reading for a while with just the sound of the clock in the kitchen, I remember that I haven’t written in a few days, and have some pictures to share.