Planet Ruby Starrs

 After alot of trawling the internet we finally found a campsite that had room for us for a few days respite and welcome change of scenary - we really wanted to go up to Dumfries and Galloway but  just couldnt find a site open or with room so we extended our search to Wales - no joy and then started on the peak district - nothing - east coast - rammed and finally we resigned ourselves to more garden time and a real staycation in our own house - we even measured for carpets thinking we might just crack on with redecorating the dining room..... and then a random campsite we had contacted on line answered our email and we booked four days at Balloch O Dee, a farm campsite near Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway - so a day wasted chasing the bloomin interweb but a result!!!!!  It was a very nice camping as well - Although it got busy and the pitches were as spacious as the Solway view so it was noisy but still not too big, nice facilities, a bit quirky - lots of hens and...

We are driving in a leisurely fashion through Montana, more or less right down the middle and the landscape is ever changing.  We are crossing huge valleys guarded on all sides by huge forested mountains, the Garnet range much deforested by fires, the Mission Mountains down one side and then the Sapphire mountains loom above us as we head into Philipsburg.   Often the lush pine forests are starting to give way to hilly scrub land with much smaller Christmas tree like firs on them and the valleys are filling up with once green but now straw-coloured plains with cattle grazing.   Changing Landscapes We have seen a lot of deer by the road side and we are driving past classic ranch style entrances with huge log gateways with big cow skulls hanging off, The Lost Moose Ranch or the Grizzly Claw Ponderosa.   RAWHIDE!!!!!   gateways made with quite impressive logs! The actual buildings are usually out of site way up the tracks....