The cicadas sing day and night.

The boys enjoy the coolness against their bellys. \240I tried to step in too, but the sand is super silty, and my feet sink into the mud. \240I continue sinking up to my knees, and Jim pulls me out. \240

The cottonwoods are massive here. \240Thank goodness for their shade.

We pass under the train tressle durng our walk.

We enjoy the smell of the coming rain. \240In the distance are the Crazy Mountains, which used to be named Crazy Woman Mountains. \240The Crow people used the mountains for spirit quests.

The river shelf collapsed, forcing the water to run underground. \240Just before the water drops, there is a acrobat line across the river, where a group of men practice their balance and wits.

We hiked along the river and then climbed down to where the water re-emerges.

We were not thinking ahead and wore regular shoes. \240It turns out we should have had our hikers on, because it was steep up and down.

You can see the dirt path we used to get down to the water's edge.

At the bottom, the water rushes out with amazing force. \240It pools just a bit, and then drops again underneath, only to open up down the canyon.

It is a beautiful scene.

"The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time."

Henry David Thoreau

The last canyon before the water again drops out and runs down to the valley full of deer.

They kept their eyes on me, and alerted the town with little barks if I got too close. Their tails quiver when they bark. \240If I sat down and just watched, they would give the o-kay cry and little fat bellies would come out and resume eating. \240If I stood, they would scamper and the barking started all over again.

When the river has spring snowfall, it hits this bank. \240I was facsinated by the levels and variety of soil.

There are many worthy rocks in and on the banks of the river, and I resist the temptation to gather many. \240I did pick up a few for my sister Ruth.

A water trestle in the middle of the rock garden.

Butte, and the headframes that honeycomb the landscape. \240It is unclear which represent active mines, but they sure do light up the night with their red lights.

The Anaconda Mining stack, surrounded by mountains of slag.

A beautiful historic building representing the Deer Lodge County.

The sweetest gate in Phillipsburg. \240Most of the main street buildings are on the historic register. \240They still mine saphires in Phillipsburg.

Candy from the Sweet Palace, where they make chocolate and nutty turtles the size of your fist, taffys of all kinds, and 20 different flavors of fudge.

The oldest building commenced while it was still a territory jail. \240Most of the yard is available for exploring.

The guard towers were built by the immates.

Three-tiered, most of the cells were open on the bottom floor. \240I sat in cell #35. \240It is meager.

The tunnels are attached to the towers.

The lorry for supply and prisoner transport.

An old and closed mine shaft.

Amazingly, more copper adornments.

This set is in the middle of a little park.

Jim and the boys walking the perimeter.

Another tall headframe.

This headframe sits above the Berkeley Pit.

To see the pit, you have to enter this long tunnel. \240

The water flooded the pit, and with it arsenic, cadmium, sulfuric acid. \240It's a bit of a disaster. \240They tell us they have a plan. \240I hope so...

The tunnel back out. \240You almost feel like you shouldn't breathe on the overlook. \240Tailings are strewn right there on the other side of the fence.

Sunset at the Berkeley Pit.