The phone rang twice.

It was a woman from the R.N.C. She wondered if I wanted to go see President Trump. 

“No thanks,” I said. 

I had already planned on taking a couple of badly needed days off and even the President wasn’t going to change my mind. 

It’s been a strange month with strange news and sometimes I wonder if I’m still on planet Earth. Plus, I’ve seen plenty of high ranking politicians over the years and their families. Bill Clinton at Flathead Valley Community College. Laura Bush in Glacier National Park; her husband, George, in Great Falls. (He wanted to privatize Social Security, remember that?) 

Michelle Obama in Kalispell making phone calls to “get out the vote.” 

I think Clinton was the most entertaining. He was retired and stumping for Hilary and the crowd at FVCC wasn’t very big and Bill wasn’t very popular, but he still hung around long after the rally, arguing with anyone who was willing. It was outside and the crowds got right up to him. The Secret Service had its hands full trying to watch the crowd and keep us photographers back as well. 

I remember standing on a rickety folding chair to get an elevated view while he chatted with renowned bear biologist Kate Kendall. 

The drill at these deals is they make you get there way too early, then try to herd you into a little pit far from the stage for the “media.” 

That happened at President Bush’s rally in Great Falls. All I brought was my Leica camera with a 50 mm lens, which meant if I stayed in the press pit I was getting no good photos. Instead I started wandering around, made sure my press badge was well hidden and then ended up with a seat in the front row, as a kid wanted to sit on his father’s lap and the family offered me the kid’s seat. 

When it was all over the family was invited back stage to take photos with Bush. They invited me along, but I declined. Not sure why. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been through security like everyone else. 

At any rate, it was a nice couple of days off and I worked on my kitchen cabinets and took the dog grouse hunting, which means I walked the dog while carrying a shotgun that rarely gets fired. 

I didn’t miss  Trump one bit.