Successfully Repelled Mosquitoes

Happy Fourth of July America!

Bought these a few months ago and have been saving them for the Holiday! I have always liked the 4th of July because it is such an honest holiday. We celebrate the birth of our country with picnics and down-home parades. No presents, no religious significance, just BBQs and fireworks.

On Friday the 3rd, the owners of the RV park sponsored a Pot Luck dinner. They provided the hot dogs and hamburgers, and everyone brought a side dish or dessert to share.

It seems there are a lot of couples who have been coming here to Valley View RV Park for part or all of the summer for many years. We shared a table with our new Alfa friends and they introduced us to some of the others. 

After eating, six of us, all Alfa owners, gathered next to Betty and Joe's rig and solved the problems of the world. They had some very good stories to share and advice on what to be sure to see in Yellowstone in the upcoming month.

As the sun began to set, the mosquitoes came out in droves. I noticed the others begin to wave their hands and swat at the pesky buggers. Personally I have always been pretty lucky in that, although I will get a few bites, I am not very sensitive to them. 

It began to look like we were going to have to call it a night, when I remembered a device I had bought several years ago after reading about it on Karen in the Woods's blog. In her post, she told how they were at a Wisconsin wooded lakeside park and were beset by mosquitoes when they were out in the evening, so they tried a new toy, a ThermaCell Mosquito Repellant,  that worked unbelievably well. 

Being from Wisconsin myself and knowing how bad they can be I immediately ordered a couple of them. But in our travels we have been lucky enough to not be bothered by mosquitoes!

So I went and found it in a bay, and we read the instructions and got it put together and started. I have to say we were all very skeptical because it didn't smell, or smoke, or seem to do anything. At first the mosquitoes were still around, but eventually, it did work, and they stopped bothering us. Next time I'll be sure to get it going sooner! 

This product is available at stores like Cabala's  and on Amazon. It comes in a portable version like the one I bought, and also as a table top lantern.

All I can say is that it  really works!

Thank you Karen for writing about it so long ago!

Not cheap, but very effective! ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellant.

On the 4th we decided to go over to West Yellowstone for a small town celebration. I read in their local paper there would be a parade, a sale of BBQ tri-tip sandwiches as a benefit for the football program, and fireworks.

We arrived in town a bit early for the parade and took a stroll down the main street and browsed the offerings of many gift shops. I bought a bottle of Montana Wild Huckleberry Preserves and a new winter jacket.

A winter jacket? When we left our home in California I brought along one mid-weight jacket that I had owned and worn for many years. It was very functional, but not pretty. I have been looking for a replacement for a long time, but most places we go just do not have winter wear on sale. Being the tightwad that I am, I did not want to pay full price for something I would only wear occasionally.  I found this fleece-lined, hooded jacket on sale for $35. It is cuddly, and I like the hood. There is a deer picture on the back as well.

After shopping we went back to the town park, set up our chairs for the parade and had some tri-tip. It was not the best, but it was benefitted the local high school. 

The parade was pretty typical of a small town. Old cars, girl and boy scouts, veterans, bicycles, fire engines, and of course horses.

A reminder of what small town America is all about. Local people, living their lives.

Montana Sunset

It doesn't get dark enough for fireworks in Montana until after 10 PM. The parade ended around six.  With not much to do for several hours, we drove the few blocks to the place where our RV friends suggested to park for the fireworks. Although it would have been a place that would allow us to leave easily after the fireworks, we explored a bit and found a place that put us in the position of being the closest car to the launching point!

While we waited, there were more "private" fireworks being launched over the town than we had ever experienced in any other part of the country. Not just little strings of firecrackers! These "private" shells were as big as some of the municipal fireworks we have experienced.

We could see the launch area from our location, and as the 10 PM start time came, and went we learned from the firemen who where parked close to us that there was some sort of "technical problem". The good thing was that it was getting darker and darker, so that when the problem was finally solved, we saw and heard some of the best local fireworks we had seen over the years. There was just enough wind to keep the sky clear of smoke, and the bursts were almost directly overhead. 

Wow!

A great end to another Fourth of July.

  

I wonder where we will be next year.