After our flat tire yesterday we did end up finally finding the octagon house. We met Jean, the octogenarian most elder of three generations of women living in the house. She was incredibly kind and personable; she reminded me of my own Aunt Jean. The house was beautiful and in a beautiful location. I wouldn't, however, want to drive up the driveway in the winter -- and when Ashleigh's dad built it, it had an even more difficult driveway.
For the drive from there to Missoula was took the longer scenic Route 12 through beautiful farm and country land. We saw many awesome homes: one was like a modern castle on the side of a mountain. We nearly ran out of gas going up to Lolo Pass, but with only a fraction of a gallon remaining we saw a miraculous sign reading "Visitor Services 1 Mile". We pulled into a campsite with a gas pump and a general store, where the attendant told us we were lucky to arrive just then, because the power had been out, and had been restored shortly before. I told him if the gas had not been available, then we would have had to have waited. We couldn't have made it to the next gas.
Because of all our troubles in Moscow yesterday, and because yesterday was scheduled for a very long drive to Yellowstone, we ended up a day behind schedule. That meant we spent last nite in Missoula, Montana, in another Wal-Mart lot. I tried to turn lemons into lemonade by scheduling a transmission oil change at a Jeep dealer.
This morning we got up earlier than yesterday, at eight, then spent a few dollars at The Mart, and found the Jeep dealer called Flanagan's. We were an hour and a half early, but they were able to do the service right away (which is happening right now as I type). Although we had some cold cereal in the Wal-Mart parking lot, we are enjoying a cinnamon roll and juice at a diner, where we can get some electricity for our computers and I found an open internet signal.
The helpful parts guy at Flanagan's had some words of wisdom but no parts to help me. When I bought my Jeep it came without an owner's manual, but he didn't have one to sell me (he had one for a different year). He also asked about the trailer and our trip and recommended an upgraded radiator fan, but didn't have one in stock to sell me. He felt strongly that I should get that upgrade, but I am hopeful that the fluid service will be sufficient.
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