Wisdom Pie

There are forest fires now in Montana and Idaho, and today the smoke has wafted our way. These are not just little fires and a little whiffs of smoke. We are talking thousands of acres of forest on fire. Today there is so much smoke that is has obliterated the sky, choked out the fresh air and left the sun a small red dot, much like someone used a paper punch on a dirty gray paper and revealed brilliant red beneath.
The air smells acrid, and there is nowhere to escape – not even indoors. We started smelling smoke about 2:00 and by 6:00 it has become oppressive and unpleasant.
Supper is done and Dave and I have decided to take a drive to see if we can get above the smoke level and get a breath of fresh air. We drive up the Lost Trail Pass and make a right turn into Montana (just past the turn off to the continental divide trail #9).
This is a beautiful drive any time of year and I look forward to seeing it in autumn dress. The road winds mysteriously, mile after mile, closely flanked by endless banks of Lodge Pole and Ponderosa pines. These silent chaperones slowly edge their way back toward the hills and the road opens out into a wide bushy meadow. The hills are lower here because we are at the top of the mountain range – this is the continental divide, there is no higher place we can go; and still there is too much smoke to see anything in the distance.
We put a favorite CD in the player and settle back into the comfortable leather, and the comfortable companionship of 32 years and watch the scenery slide by. We are not in a hurry, just out for a leisurely drive.
In about 35 minutes we arrive at a small town called Wisdom.
There are two restaurants to choose from in this one road town – we choose the newer looking one, thinking we might be lucky enough to find a piece of pie. Right next to the door, there is a table of 6 teenage girls with an older woman; all heads turn as we walk in, just like in a movie! There is another table of 5 or 6 having a lively time and a lone man at a large table next to the window. We take a table by the cold fire place, and shyly look around.
The room is clean and nicely decorated in a Rustic/Victorian theme; it is well lit and there is new carpet on the floor. By the kitchen door hangs a chalkboard with desserts of the day scribbled in white chalk. I vacillate between rhubarb and blackberry, finally choosing the blackberry, with chamomile tea; Dave chooses coconut cream and coffee.
When the waitress brings the pie we are astounded by the size of the servings; the plates are beautiful, whipped cream is piled high, and the teapot, oh, the teapot - it is the cutest I have ever seen! I love it, it makes the tea taste so wonderful. The pie is fabulous; the berries fresh, tart and crunchy, the coconut cream pure, fresh and very obviously homemade. The crusts are as good as mine!
What a wonderful surprise, way up there on top of the smoky world, in a wonderful little widespot in the road town of ... maybe 150 people. We're going back and we'll take you there when you come to visit!