Almost Montana: outside Sheridan, Wyoming on the cattle ranch of my college classmate, Cam Forbes. His grandfather originated the Red Angus breed in 1945; Cam and his siblings still maintain the foundation herd. http://agmailusa.com/ads/beckton/

Cam and Trish built this house, with its million dollar views of the ranch and the Big Horn Mountains.

How green it is, for July. All the way through Wyoming and Montana, the rains this spring and early summer have been above average and the weather has been cooler than normal. After so many desperately dry summers in recent years the cool, damp weather has been a great relief.

That's the Forbes's house on the hill in the middle distance.

We drive on to the Musselman ranch outside Lewistown, Montana. Ed Musselman has erected a teepee out behind the house.

That's Ed on the right with my son Paul, lounging in the teepee.

Marc and Nate Musselman, Ed's son and grandson, are also visiting from Colorado.

The old stable is framed in the teepee's doorway.

Structure and form: elegant and elemental.

Ed and Marc in front of the old ranch house. Parts of the structure are original log construction from the 1800's, sound as a nut and good for another hundred years.

Maiden Canyon and the Judith Mountains near Ed's little piece of Heaven. A forest fire a few years back denuded the hills above his place, but spared the ranch.

On the high bench north of the Judith River, near Denton, Montana.

Evidence of heightened gang activity in Fergus County.

Square Butte, near Coffee Creek, Montana

Along the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana. 52 degrees and raining on the Fourth of July! I remember other Fourths in Great Falls when the temperature was over 100 degrees.

After getting a slow leak fixed in my right front tire (not so easy on Sunday, the 4th of July), I stole an hour and visited the C.M. Russell Museum complex in Great Falls. Russell was one of the most famous of the 'cowboy' painters.

A bronze statue of Charlie Russell with palette and brush stands guard out front.

Great Falls has a number of painted fiberglas bison scattered about town to promote the city. This one graces the museum lobby.

Another bronze of Russell.

The Dale Chihuly collection of American Indian trade blankets is on display, along with some of Chihuly's own art glass creations.

One large wall cabinet houses an impressive collection of miniature wagons.

This fine old horse-drawn hearse carried Charlie Russell's body on its last journey.

Outside the museum proper is Russell's studio and house. This is the studio, which now contains an exhibit of Plains Indians artifacts collected by Russell, as well as his studio preserved as it was when he died in 1926.

Inside Russell's studio.

The Russell House and historic landmark plaque.

Inside the Russell house, the dining room has been furnished with period pieces in keeping with the time.

Back on the road in the Judith Basin near Stanford, Montana, July 5th: 48 degrees and the clouds are walking.

The town of Judith Gap sits in the low spot between the Big Snowy Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains. Even though it's not much of a pass--more of a low saddle, really--the weather often changes abruptly as you go through to the Musselshell drainage. Today is one of those days: the clouds lift, and the sun starts to shine through the breaks.

Driving toward the Crazy Mountains, the hamlet of Melville and its picturesque old church appear ahead.

My trusty steed, a 1999 VW Passat. Jennifer and Paul have been sleeping in the car while I photgraph the church.

A local.

In the hills above the Little Big Horn in southern Montana, we encounter a sudden thunderstorm.

Paul is oblivious to the weather.

We break out the other side just as we cross the border into Wyoming.

Nearing Kaycee.

The Powder River drainage.

The approach to Chugwater is well guarded.

Daylight wanes as we approach Cheyenne; beyond is Colorado, and home.