The market at Stanford was fully underway when we were still waking up. Goats were being washed - and there was quite a variety of sweet looking goats. Pigs were elsewhere. Children are the focus of all this - it's animals in 'petting zoo' style. Compared with the various barking dogs the goats seemed a great deal more intelligent and cute. A oldish man walking past said he didn't understand any of it - animals are farmed for eating, not making a pet out of... We went to the shop before setting out, once again there's not much in the way of sustenance for about 40 miles. Then, a little before 10am we left the trees and shade of Stanford and headed out onto the open steppes that stretch towards the Rockies. The wind was brisk and a tailwind so excellent for us. After 20 miles we met Ben, doing the Northern Tier from West to east and battling a headwind and considering whether to try for Lewistown, which would be a 100+ miles. Such is the bravery and bravado of youth. We would not choose 100 miles in a headwind... We commended Stanford as a fine place should he feel like stopping. Onwards we went and Ben was not even a dot on the immensity of road behind us. Even at 10mph each, it is surprising how rapidly bikes disappear to the opposite sides of America, 3 mins and you're a mile apart.... We were going much faster than that though - the average today was 13.6mph and for a while we really did hurtle mostly at 20mph. Our progress slowed near Belt when after lots of downhill we suddenly had to do a decent stiff climb. But then fast again. The town of Belt brewed the pleasant wheat beer we drank last night and a can of which is secreted in each of our sets of panniers. A military helicopter flew low overhead and Guy and the pilot exchanged waves as we sped over a moor. We arrived at Great Falls at about 4pm, failed to find a replacement tyre for me in a bike (mostly motorbike) shop, booked in at the expensive KOA campground - $50 for a tent! A neighbour said he saw us on the road back near Jordan and noted my grey hair. Well, I am at the top end of the age range now of transam cyclists. He was heading to Utah for a painting event for his wife. I asked if he rode a bike ever - he said cancer put an end to his cycling. The KOA is not so expensive, it does have a campers kitchen so tea and a microwave meal was possible (Walmart superstore is next door), and a watery fun area - cold water slides with hot tubs to soothe our muscles - and ideal after the cold water slides. And it also has a musical evening, by the Riverton Rounders, in the camper's kitchen - they played two requests from us - Gordon Lightfoot's song about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and later John Prine's eco-Americana 'Paradise' about the damage to Kentucky wreaked by Mr Peabody and his coal train. They played Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, John Denver, gospel, etc. Two particularly nice tunes - Louisiana Saturday Night and the Tenessee Waltz. CDs were bought - civil war songs, and the songs of John Foster. The musical evening here has been happening for 35 years, during the summer. Heartwarming and fun. Ended the day with the can of Belt wheat beer. Light and pleasant. Slept well. In the morning two small boys and their mum walk by, mum says 'you'd like a bike like those there?' pointing at our bikes, 'Nope' say the boys. And indeed Great Falls itself doesn't display any obvious love of the bicycle, much more for the motorbike... The picture is of myself surprised and delighted to find a steep hill after a thousand miles and more of soybean, sweetcorn and undulations. We are here.