Crossroads

A couple of years ago, on one of my not infrequent wanderings, I had been prowling the town of Great Falls, Montana, taking in sights and embracing the history.  About the middle of the afternoon, I decided to press on.  I didn’t have any particular destination in mind or any time schedule.  I was like “the bear that went over the mountain to see what he could see.”

A few miles outside of town, I came to a crossroad.  There was a road sign with an arrow pointing to the town of Belt.  That was an interesting sounding name and, having never been there, it seemed like a good enough reason to go take a look.  On my road map it looked to be only a mile and a half to town, but looking in that direction I didn’t see a break in the scenery for twenty miles, it just looked like open prairie halfway to Canada.  I turned north to follow the sign and within a couple hundred yards the road went around a little bend and dove right into the bottom of a hidden canyon.  Cool, I thought, this looks intriguing. After a couple of switchback turns, the road straightened out at the edge of the town.

The main street through town that originally served time as a cow trail, wound this way and that for about a half mile.  A few store buildings and shops lined both sides of the street.  The end of the business district was graced with a pleasant-looking grassy park with picnic tables and swings.  Beyond that the roadway went past a few scattered farms.  The whole area looked like a charming place to be.  It’s a good thing I wasn’t looking for another crossroad because it was pretty much just the one road from one end to the other.

Back out on the highway again, I was going along watching the scenery and humming a little tune.  No wait, that wasn’t me humming, it was my belly growling for some supper.  Okay, okay, I told myself, it’s getting dark.  If I am going to eat, I better be doing it.  Knowing a little bit about Montana, I assumed the sidewalks would soon be getting rolled up.  Seeing an “Open” sign I stopped at a restaurant at Stanford.  I was the only customer, but the waitress said she was still serving.  There was some of the dinner special left so I told her that would be just right.  She was evidently the cook also and when she brought out the food, she brought her coffee cup and sat down at the table and we visited while I ate.  Don’t you just love Montana?

After supper, I headed on down the road.  I started looking for a likely spot to camp for the night before it got plum dark.  I checked my road map and saw a crossroad up ahead a few miles where this road kept on going but another highway headed due south toward Judith Gap and Harlowton.  When I got closer, I could see it was a regular truck stop with a restaurant.  The sign said “Eddies Corner, open all night, coffee, early breakfast and hot showers.”  Perfect.

I went in to get a last cup of coffee for the night and permission to camp out in the truck lot.  I got far enough away from the trucks that the ones that stayed running didn’t bother me.  I rolled out my bed, made a few notes in my diary, said my prayers and turned in.  I tried to count how many different coyote voices I could hear and that was the last I remember.

Next morning I woke up with the last of the stars blinking out and a faint tinge of light on the horizon.  When dawn comes to eastern Montana, you can’t help but just watch it.  There isn’t anything within a thousand miles to block the view.  As the colors are continually changing from grays to yellows to reds, you might think Charley Russel is up there, working with his magic paintbrush.  Every time you witness the dawning, you are seeing an original creation.  We are so blessed.

A lonely grain elevator about a mile due east was the only break in the horizon.  For a while, when the rising sun was behind it, it looked like a pillar of fire.

If you’re ever roaming Montana on Highway 3 and come up on a crossroad that says “Eddies Corner,” don’t pass it by.  You better stop in for a while.  That might be me sitting sown at the end of the counter having a cup of coffee.  I sure would be delighted to see you.