Kalispell, Montana

The banks of fog are thick and the sky is really amazing. Black mountain surround us on either side and Glacier park is behind us. I never shoot with a tripod and wish I had one for this very moment. The sky is too dark to correctly capture the fisherman floating on the small lake, their silhouettes visible in the first morning light. Alas, the railing of the bridge adequately substituted for the much needed tripod.

After the night in the Blue and White motel with Doni this moment is making it all worth it. I love waking up early.

Kalispell is an interesting town. A location bustling with tourists and young adventures alike enjoying the land scape in the summer months. The quiet transition from fall to winter turns into something different all together. The vintage movie theaters have all been negotiated into religious spaces of congregation. There are no strip clubs or anything flashy. Hotels advertising "liberal" casinos are as much excitement the town has to offer. Mother nature is present and beautiful. The town is quiet.

Yesterday afternoon upon arriving to Kalispell we met up with our boy Brad. The property surrounding his home is gorgeous, the air is fresh and unless you are gluten-free you would be happy to run through the fields of wheat. Doni was the perfect height to plow through the wheat. His little cowboy hat just graised the top. Justin and I took off our shirts and took a family portrait in the golden fields.

We took a hike in the hills and met lots of people on the trails (they all loved Doni), they could not believe we were actually traveling with a goat. He follows Justin obediently and greats all of his new friends with small head butts and smiles. Marilyn happily perused the streets and handed out flyer's and shared our travel story. Doni received his first check of $50. Great work Marilyn! Such an great donation.

Hunger grew and we all treated ourselves to burgers. Hey we are in Montana! Justin sampled elk and buffalo and I went with the old faithful- it was damn good. Marilyn finally convinced us to order onion rings. But this trip is dedicated to raising awareness for Doni and his charities. This is not a D- list episode of Man vs food. We can't eat like that anymore.

Fred, Brads father was a pleasure to meet. He gave us a lot of insight on the travels and offered us advise on how to raise awareness in Montana. His organization tracks for trails is a great opportunity for the active community. Turning unused railroad tracks to paved bike paths. Doni even contributed and bought a brick with his name on it to be internalized in the bike paths around Kalispell.

The shock value of Doni as a traveling companion is lessened in Montana. Many have neighbors with goats or at least a friend with a goat. Doni didn't have the chance to meet one of his kind but there is a friendly reaction to his presence.

So now is the time I get to tell you about or lovely accommodations. Blue and White motel. Chosen only because of its amazing signage and Brad did say it was his old stomping grounds for high school hook ups. I thought a relaxing night in the stream room, jacuzzi and pool would balance the hours spent on the road. I was wrong. It was disgusting. If i had socks longer than ankle socks I would have tucked my pants to prevent critters to crawl up my legs. A strict pet policy turned the bathroom into the goat pen- as we snuck Doni into the room. As we all sat around in the room and decompressed you could hear precious Doni jumping up on the sink counter and wondering why he was away from his road trip buddies. Trying to pee in an already small bathroom next to a goat is not cool. I have to say,last night crossed a few boundaries on the comfort scale. I was not comfortable at all. The finale of the evening was Marilyn's blind mistake of using cortisone cream as tooth paste. She thought it was some hippy toms of Maine weird tooth paste flavor turned out it was burning her gums and tongue. I was exhausted and tired but was trying to hold in my giggles as she was freaking out over her blind mistake.

Doni's little poop pellets filled the bathroom room and urine soaked goat emerged from his holding pen. Like any kid, he wanted to jump into bed with Justin. Like a good father,Justin cleaned up the mess; he bathed Doni and we set out for the day. Mean time, I was balancing on one leg trying to keep most of my body out of the bathroom while I brushed my teeth. This morning I asked Justin, "What did I ever do to you? I haven't seen you in four years…seriously why are you torturing me. " Staying in a hotel room with a goat is hard.