A beautiful sunny morning in Missoula with 30 F degree temp. But I plugged in and headed towards Billings. Got to Butte and it was covered with about 3-4 inches of white fluffy snow! Thankfully the roads were bare so no riding issues. Once I got past Butte and the higher elevation, the sun warmed up the air and it became a nice day.
I went to Billings to visit an incredible portrait artist, Clark Marten, and see his new gallery and studio. All I can say is WOW! – I have visited many colleagues in the past 20 years and when I walked in I honestly thought I walked in the wrong door. I had to go back out and check the signage – it is truly an art gallery! In look and in feel and in the imagery itself – it is in every way an Art Gallery by an artist whose tool is a camera.
After a great visit with Clark, his wife Rachel and their staff I went boot shopping. For many years I have been wanting a pair of snakeskin boots but they are almost impossible to find around home. And when you do find them they are almost always Python because it is the most popular due to availability and price – but it has its’ drawbacks. I wanted cobra or rattler and the first two boot shops had neither – lots of other exotics like gator, cayman and ostrich though. My last chance in Billings was filled with success! I finally had my boots – a beautiful pair made from diamondback rattlesnake that almost felt like a pair of slippers!
I left Billings and rode north through the plains to Great Falls so not much to see but no more snow! Saw a couple of Pronghorns and a couple of deer but they were safely away from the road.