14APRIL2016 near Forsyth, MT

Despite setting up wet, I slept well, warm and dry.  I was up later than on other days, watching the sun burst over the hills as I was breaking camp.  Thinking that I had a very short distance into Forsyth, I paddled dismissively, enjoying the current and expecting to see the bridge at every turn.  What wind there was was a benign head wind and I could drift on without paddling at all.  Even as the wind speed increased I could drift ... neverthemore, I paddled.  I went ashore at a distance sign situated at Rum's point.  Distances to Cancun, Jamaica, Bora Bora, Bermuda as well as Forsyth (8 Miles) was adequately informative.  Paddling on I had a good feel for how many river bends I was facing and came ashore at the West Rosebud boat ramp at 1100.  Along the way I twice saw some Whitetail deer.  This SHOULD not be newsy, but those are the first deer seen since I left Columbus last Friday.  Bald eagles, ducks, geese and herons were also seen.  Herons are incredible.  They are a big lump with protruding sticks ... that fly.  At the extreme top of hundred foot cottonwood trees, they build nests that appear to come from a Dr. Seuss book and they drift in and plop down on them.  There may be 30 nests in a rookery yet at any one time only one or two herons will be in flight ... the others quite happy to sit and look.  Several days back I saw one flying along with a snake; I now know that one function of those long beaks is to reach under a ledge to snag a groggy snake.  Walking in to Forsyth I went to the Howdy Hotel and spent $63 for two nights.  To enter, one passes across a mosaic made with 1" ceramic squares ... aqua with "1905" mosaicked in black.  This Hotel is perfect ... not just price, but it has maybe 25 rooms on the second floor and that again on he third.  Twelve foot ceilings.  It's old and it's in good shape.  I will be here again.  The bartender lent her Jeep, tossed the keys to a driver and sent us out to shag my gear.  We did that then went to view the dam.  I decided that I would not paddle that dam - it's spooky.  Moreover, the approach side-channel has vertical sides making a short lift-and-drag portage problematic.  The decision to portage down the streets was easy and I was driven to a tire business for some air.  The lady running the desk was wearing a T-shirt with familiar words ... I inquired ... and surely enough I had been swimming and sushiing with her aunt in Maui and had attended her grandaunt's funeral in Helena.  Small state population ... you gotta love it.  I got back to the Howdy in plenty of time to avoid and enjoy the intense rain ... it's good to be inside. "Men in Black" (#3?) on TV put me to sleep.