Today I had toast with blueberries for breakfast. Jan is taking good care of me with breakfasts.
And today the focus is on our trip to Tippett Rise. We are going in separate cars, and staying at the Pollard after (!), and Julie and I will head home from Red Lodge while Cap and Jan head back home.
The trip to Tippet Rise was easy and we were there with plenty of time to spare. We took the (leftover) chicken sandwiches into the dining hall, purchased drinks and enjoyed the rest of last nights chicken. It was still great.
We still had a few minutes before our tour started, so we looked at a couple of the art exhibits in close proximity. Then up to the solar array to start our tour. There was a bit of a mixup – too many people showed up for our bus – but it was quickly handled. Nancy took us on a very nice tour of all of the art on the 12,000 acre working farm. I’m not going to try to describe any of it – read about it – it is fascinating.
After the two hour tour we went to hear a talk about the upcoming music event. It’s chamber music. The pianist of the trio described the trio, how it formed 28 years ago, and the music to be played tonight. He was very interesting. And we got an extra unexpected talk with the artist who designed the latest piece, The Xylem Pavilion, by Francis Kere of Burkina Fasco. Francis was amazing. Read about him – he is a globally acclaimed architect. And his description of the Pavilion, it’s concept and how it was created and built, was just fascinating.
Then we had dinner – it was a pretty nice menu, and the food was excellent. I had a beef bbq with Mac and cheese. It was very yummy and very filling.
And then to the concert. What a great venue, and it was packed – probably about 300 people. Maybe more. And the music was simply wonderful. A great concert. Again, look up the Gryphon Trio for good descriptions and information on the music. I can’t do it justice – I’m just a rock and roll sax player with no formal training.
After the encore the four of us were the first out on the building somehow, and the carts were waiting to transport us to the parking lot, and before I knew it our two vehicles were the first to leave! Never done that before. It was still light ad 8:45, and there was a huge storm to the east – exactly where we were headed to Red Lodge. We chased that storm, but never really caught it – but it was amazing to watch.
Once we checked into our room at the Pollard the four of us went to the bar for a drink, and that’s when the storm unloaded. Wow. So much water – just incredible.
We said goodbyes this evening – Julie and I would be on the road before Jan and Cap got up. It had been a wonderful 4 days and today especially was fantastic.
2019 Red Lodge Montana 