Posts tagged “Montana”

I am married to a supernova outdoor sportsman, who has exposed me to some wonderful experiences, hiking, hunting, boating, and fishing. I never would have tried these outdoor adventures without him, but thanks to my husband I’ve had some powerful and unforgettable experiences in the great outdoors.  For instance, there was the time when Scott drew a special extended-season elk permit. We drove three long, icy hours to the Gallatin National Forest , near Gardiner, Montana, in... (Read more…)

I’m leaving my home state, headed halfway across the world to the lush and fecund landscape of Northern Spain where I’ll be teaching English for a year.  And although our relationship is far from a summer fling, I like to think of these last few months as a kind of sweeping affair.  As I drive the country roads and highways this summer, I’ve been writing a love letter to Montana, memorizing the gestures, curves and shades of the terrain, taking an inventory of the topography... (Read more…)

My children love grabbing piles of old-man's-beard to drop ceremoniously on an evening campfire. "We're making a smudge," they say as they pile it on, relishing the thick white smoke that rises diligently upward, participating in the forever ritual of fire and smoke and idle chatter at the end of an earnest day out. Like many, if not most Montanans, their sense of home is not only here within the confines of our house, our community, our small-city world, but... (Read more…)

It’s a hard life growing up in the Forest Service.  There are streams to fish, cabins to visit and trails to hike.  You end up with way too many Smokey Bear shoelaces and pencils and have to go to potlucks at campgrounds.  Well, on second thought, I guess it doesn’t sound all that bad.  Actually, for me, growing up as the daughter of a District Ranger was really nothing short of wonderful. The US Forest Service has defined my family from the very... (Read more…)