The Stop and Go

I lazily left Glacier and headed toward Helena.  These areas of Montana reminded me of the long stretches of road in Texas.  80 MPH and no one around.  The little towns are filled with western kitsch and saloons and small museums showcasing dinosaur fossils and western lore.  I badly wanted to stop and document this type of Americana, but I am starting to feel myself stopping a little too much, and this drags out my time on the road.

But as I passed this particular field, stopping for a long stretch was absolutely forgiven.

I continued on to go and visit an old and dear college friend from my early days at Alfred University.  She is an artist-in-resident at Archie Bray Foundation, a ceramic art residency in Helena.  She was one of my first friends in college.  She, a funny and honest Puerto Rican/Dominican girl from Queens, New York who took on a friendship with me, a sheltered duck-out-of-water girl from Tallahassee, Florida.  It was a strange and perfect match. 

Our six hours visit felt like we could have used three more days to talk and talk and laugh and laugh.  But it was a special trip to find her in Montana and to be able to see what she is working on at the residency and with life.

Detail of a piece by April Felipe