Missoula (sorta)

I’m a pretty put-together girl.  I’m organized and punctual and generally think things through.  It seems this trip is the exception to that.  First, I came relatively close to missing my border crossing coming out of Canada.  I will say that was not really my fault.  Bad roads and road construction caused most of the delay.  Then, I almost missed my ferry.  Totally my fault.  Just careless.  But lucky. 

 

After I spent 2 days at Pend Oreille I was ready to head to Montana.  Jon’s niece needed a ride to Missoula and since I was going right through I offered to take her.  We headed out on the road and had a nice drive.  Her friends were going to pick her up just outside of Missoula.  However, they had been out picking huckleberries and just happened to drive up right next to us about 20 miles outside of Missoula.  We pulled over and switched at a nearby rest stop.  I was back in my car and on my way. 

 

Now I had planned out my stops carefully that morning.  I figured, when I drop off Kaelyn in Missoula I will get gas.  Then, I’ll stop in Bozeman for dinner and top off for the ride home.  Unfortunately, I dropped Kaelyn off before Missoula.  So, when I got to Missoula I was thrilled to not have to stop and just kept driving.  I went along for quite a ways when all of a sudden I looked down and noticed that my gas light was flashing at me.  Oh, no.  Where is my head?  This audiobook isn’t that good.  What do I do?  I’m in the middle of rural Montana.  Deer Lodge is the closest town and it’s 15 miles away.  So I pray.  Hard.  Plead really.  My fingernails are being chewed and all I can think is, “My dad is a really long way away if I run out of gas.”  I count every milepost.  Didn’t my dad tell me once that you get better gas mileage if you slow down to 50?  Maybe I should start chucking stuff out the windows to relieve some weight. 

 

Finally, after the longest 15 miles of my life I limp into Deer Lodge and fill my 14-gallon tank with 13.89 gallons of gas.  Phew!!!  I have to say, I have an amazing guardian angel.  But really, you gotta wonder…just how many close calls does one girl get?