Montana author William Kittredge was the first to call it the last best place. John Steinbeck wrote, “I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.” For my part, I’d like … More Montana: The Ron Swanson of States
On my last day in Montana, I reached a sheep ranch outside the town of Roundup. A friend–a Wisconsin native, Montana transplant like me–had been working and living there for the season. I played with Akbash puppies and entered the pen of orphan lambs, called bums. They suckled my fingers and chewed the belt loops … More On My Last Day in Montana
Isn’t it a good little mental shake-up to notice unexpected things in surprising contexts? I remember the first time this happened to me: I was at a friend’s house in elementary school. Her family had the same set of dishes as my grandma. Grandma’s dishes! In Colleen’s house? Whoah! Yesterday was one of those days … More Chicken Feet, Cheesehead, Sage
Today’s the day that a piece of my manuscript about my time in Yellowstone appears in High Country News. The full essay appears online here: http://www.hcn.org/issues/44.16/storm-on-lava-creek-a-season-in-yellowstone.
Why wait to reacquaint those arms with the resistance band? Smoked gouda. Try it already!
It’s my last morning in Missoula for a while. Recently I went for a walk in the North Hills, my favorite hiking area in town, and took a journal with me. Looking down on Missoula, I thought, “thank you.” For all the experiences I had here–as a young woman, a student, a teacher, a friend. … More Thank You, Missoula
Big Hole National Battlefield is ten miles from Wisdom, Montana. On this site on August 9, 1877, gunshots at dawn woke a camp of Nez Perce. Many died here: 31 soldiers and volunteers and nearly 90 Nez Perce—the majority women, children, and elderly. They say you can still hear their cries. The place warrants many … More Blood and Wisdom
