I spent february 14-18 with my dad in montana, to celebrate his new retirement with him at his home on lake mary ronan. I visited him here before, when he was still working in Helena. This time was a lot more fun because I didn't have to share him with his job, and because there was plenty of snow to go snowmobiling on. It seems that during the winter at the lake, you either snomobile, ice fish, or work on engines in your garage - at least that's all the people I met at the lodge did.

Me and my dad using the self timer at one of the many scenic vistas that our snomobiles took us to. Pictures don't do the scenery justice.

Here is a new art form that even my dad hadn't seen. Shaved hide art. This is for sale at the gift shop in the kalispell airport.

Here we are on a poker run - a game where you put down $5 at the lodge, ride your rig around a ~20 mile course, picking up playing cards in envelopes as you go. When you get back to the lodge, the organizers open your envelopes, and whoever ends up with the best hand gets all the money put into the pot. I got a pair of queens, but dad's next-door neighbor had three jacks, so I didn't get anything.

^ Dad and meg, the lodge proprietor, at the lodge. Great food and drink for practically free.

> Sondra (Dad's wife) cooking up some porkchops for lunch. Mmmmm-mm good.

< The lodge from the outside. it's about a five minute walk from my dad's lake-front cabin.

While were were snomobiling over the frozen lake, we observed a few people out ice fishing. Here's a guy who drove his truck onto the lake. During the weekend, there are usually more than a dozen people out fishing in this way.

The snow is very low moisture there. Step off the snomobile track, and poof! down you go. I'm still a couple feet from the ground here.