#4 A Promise Kept, A Dream Fulfilled - Helena, MT

For decades every time we talked with her, Don's precious cousin, Mary Lois, invited us to come to Montana, saying that we would not want to leave her beautiful state. And every time we promised that we would some day. And so, with a heart as big as the Big Sky, she opened up her home to us which allowed us 2 weeks of pure heaven. She fed us and gave us the use of her car (we racked up 1500 miles in no time), all the while telling us "you are so cute." Naturally we adore her. Sandi, her wonderful daughter, drove us around town and gave us great travel advice. We had  fun "telling tall tales" as Mary put it. We are forever indebted to them and to God for the sweet time we had with them. Mary lives on a beautiful tree-lined street in the same home where she reared her children. Don counted 11 historical markers on her street when he took his morning walks. In every direction he turned, he could see a mountain. The temperature was a delightful 50-70 deg F. We slept with the window open giving us a perfect night's sleep. Mary often has a visitor to her front yard, who likes the shade. This was the 3rd deer we saw up close around town. We took the tour tram to see the beautiful capital city. The city is rich in history, has a wealth of scenery

and spectacular views. We loved the architecture, the lush green lawns (flowers in the sun, moss in the shade), and the walking mall. The tram is the only vehicle allowed there. It's a great place to eat ice cream from the Big Dipper, chocolate from The Parrot candy store and to hang out.