Hanging out near Walter

This is about when our run from the wildfires began. We had plans to go to Glacier NP but it was all on fire. Everywhere we thought to go ended up on fire or the air was too smoky to subject Roslyn to it. So we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere Montana with no plans. We drove up a random forest service road, nabbed the only semi-level spot we could find and hung out on our little cliff for the night. It was hot, so we mostly lounged outside and made a slow dinner, then spent the night reading. Roslyn recently learned to roll over so she was constantly practicing and grinning with pride. That was honestly a large part of our evening and we loved it.

 Our next stop was another master campsite finder, Joshua, snag. We grabbed a beautiful quiet spot along the water. We took turns jumping into the just barely too cold water, Roslyn only got a toe dip. We were nestled among beautiful tall trees and the running water could be heard from inside Walter. We had another slow evening of getting in and out of the water, throwing rocks, and playing with the baby.

The hammock was pulled out frequently. Sometimes we only sat in it for a few minutes, sometimes hours, but it was always set up just in case. It was like the living room of our trip. Joshua pulled stool up usually while Roslyn and I swung back and forth. We'd sit out there at night and read, I'd breastfeed her there in the mornings, Joshua would nap with her in it, we'd chat and sip wine in it while Roslyn was sleeping in the van. It was a great extension of space.

She was mad when the mug was removed from her

On the slower days we got really good at making van food. I blistered shishito peppers, made steak over a bed of brussel sprouts, had lavish breakfasts that once or twice included mimosas, homemade waffles with fresh berries we picked ourselves, and more. The meals were always prepared slowly. Usually I made them while Joshua played and cuddled Roslyn (since he'd been driving and away from her a lot of the day). I got to chop everything as slowly as I wanted, stop for a sloppy baby kiss, or run out to catch the sun dipping behind the trees. Our meals were intentional and something I really miss now being back home and life creeping in.