The journey towards Rapid City was gentle. Usually the camper makes the trip in one day, but this time, they took a little bit different route and stopped in Buffalo, Wyoming in the shadow of the Big Horn Mountains. They are really beautiful mountains. Edward enjoyed a walk along Clear Creek, even though there were a lot of mosquitoes.

Wow! Edward and the camper went back to Big Timber for the third time on this trip!. This time there was a big birthday party for Ted’s sister. There were a lot of people. Ted’s two sisters and two of his nieces and all of Ted and Susan’s family plus some other relatives and friends were all there. It was a fun time with lots of food and cake and ice cream.

Elliot’s really enjoyed throwing rocks into the river.

This trip with the camper will soon be over. There are a lot of things going on in Rapid City. Rachel and Mike will be coming back to Rapid City after they visit Yellowstone Park. Edward would like to go to Yellowstone Park some day, but right now it will be fun to hear their stories. Edward hopes they get to see a bear!

Tomorrow will be time to pack up and head back towards Rapid City.

Edward has been to Perry’s Campground in Red Lodge before. It is a beautiful place down by the creek with lots of shade. This time is extra special, however, because Elliot is having an overnight! Overnights with Elliot are always special. Edward gets to sleep with Elliot and a whole family of bears!

And, Elliot has a new bear for this visit. Black Bear E (not Blackberry!) is a special bear that Elliot got when he visited the Yellowstone Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a very special place that gives homes to wild animals that are not able to live in the wild. Some have been injured. Others were kept as pets and don’t have the skills to survive in the wild. There were four bears at the sanctuary and a mountain lion, a bobcat, and elk and a buffalo as well as a porcupine, crows, ravens, an eagle and a falcon.

Perhaps Elliot’s favorite animals of this trip, however, were the chipmunks at Vista Point. They were so used to people that they would come right up to Elliot. What fun to see them scamper about.

One morning Rachel and Michael and all of Elliot’s family came for breakfast. Blueberry pancakes! Yum!

There was another wedding and a lot of other adventures. Elliot played with the tractors and other toys at the camper and got to have a bath in the little bathtub of the camper. Emmala came to visit. She could take a nap in the camper, but she is too little for a sleepover. Elliot felt right at home in the camper. He liked reading the Cat in the Hat with the toy Cat and Things ! and 2.

Edward was happy to see Ted and Susan so happy to have their whole family together. It was a wonderful time for visiting.

And now Edward is back in Big Timber, by the river, with the musical sounds of the water over the boulders in his ears. The trip back from Floweree was a bit hot in the camper and so Ted turned on the air conditioner for a little while after he arrived. Today is just a quick overnight and then it will be off to Red Lodge and more adventures.

Ted went off with his sister for supper and then came back to sleep. Already this morning, there is plenty of hustle and bustle as he is getting the camper ready for the trip to Red Lodge.

Wow! Did Edward Bear ever have an exciting day yesterday! He heard the roosters crowing before the sun was even up. When it got light, he paid a visit to the chickens.

There was time to walk around the Floweree place and check out the old grain bins and tractors.




And then Edward got to go to the River Ranch.




At the River Ranch there was a lot to explore.



There was a wedding.



And a fire truck

And there were lots of trucks and farm machines to explore. It was an exciting day at the River Ranch and Edward was glad to have been there to see it all.

Edward Bear had been hearing about the River Ranch for a long time. In his mind a River Ranch would be a perfect place to visit. A river means fish and Edward is particular to fish. But the drive up to the ranch was a kind of hot afternoon’s adventure. There was quite a bit of road construction and more than a little dust and by the time the camper pulled into Great Falls it was pretty dirty, even though it hadn’t yet made it to the gravel roads. The ranch isn’t far from Great Falls and soon the camper was parked in the yard of the Floweree Ranch. It is kind of dry here. It is harvest season. All of the winter wheat has been combined and the spring wheat isn’t quite ready to cut.

Ted set up the camper at the Floweree place and went off without the camper to the River Ranch. By the time he got back it was too late to take pictures of Edward, so the pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

Already Edward is excited about this particular place to camp. The camper is right next to a fenced area with chickens and roosters and there is a friendly dog and a big garden. There are lots of things to explore tomorrow. This is turning out to be an excellent adventure for Edward.

For Edward it seems as if a lot of time goes by between trips, but today was a good day for a bit of a drive. It is about 425 miles from Rapid City to Big Timber and the road was full of motorcycles leaving the hills at the end of the rally. The drive was uneventful and the camper was parked and set up well before dark. Edward got to meet Ted’s oldest sister Nancy and another brother of Nancy’s named Sonny. It was fun to see more people and to visit.

The trailer is set up at the place where Ted spent his summers when he was growing up. His father was a John Deere dealer, so Edward had to try out the John Deere tractor. Soon it was dark and there is a fully day with more adventures tomorrow. And soon, Elliot and Emmala will be on their way to Montana. This is going to be a great week for Edward Bear.