Someday, this will be an infographic, and you’ll all say “Oh wow, this Bert guy is pretty amazing” (Maybe. Are infographics even a thing anymore, or is that too last year?). In the meantime, here you are, a riveting just-the-facts post about sheep in Montana: When travelling around Montana, you will see cows. This is … Read more
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has pages on its websites explaining how to predict the weather using goose bones, pig spleens, and woolly caterpillars. It says these are just articles about old folklore, but also refuses to reveal the method it uses to make long-term weather predictions. So forgive me for being skeptical. Despite claiming an … Read more
You, dear reader, will never have an opportunity to travel through Montana with my dad [name withheld because he doesn’t trust the internet]. Which is a shame, because it is one of the best ways of seeing the state. References like Names on the Faces of Montana, virtualmontana.com, this blog, and a good Montana Map … Read more
Monday was cold and cloudy. Falling snow kept threatening to turn into a snowstorm, then stopping, then threatening again. Clouds obscured the hills and mountains. It was a perfect day, in short, to drive a Ford Taurus with questionable brakes up a forest service road in search the most elusive of quarries—a perfect Christmas tree. … Read more
Ranchers are the same everywhere. In 2009, the Montana Stock Growers Association (MSGA) celebrated its 125th anniversary, and were looking for a way to commemorate the event. An obvious answer came to mind. Linda Grosslopf and Nancy Morrison compiled a book featuring 142 ranching families that have been ranching in Montana for over 100 years. … Read more
I have a friend who was talking about a trip he took to Texas. “The problem, with Texans,” he said, “is that they are all so proud of Texas. They think that Texas is the best place ever.” “Montanans can be pretty arrogant when it comes to talking about our state too,” I replied. He … Read more
Everyone has a unicorn—a prize they desperately want that keeps eluding them. For some it is climbing Mt Everest or K2 or sailing solo around the world. For us, it is summiting Ch-paa-qn Peak (formerly Squaw Peak), a 3.5 mile long hike approximately an hour west of Missoula. With less than 2,000 feet of elevation … Read more
Recently, Outside Bozeman ran an article in which they compared “Old Bozeman…when people were few, traffic was nonexistent, and real estate was available to folks without hedge funds.” To the Bozeman of today. In doing so, they stepped right into the middle of what I call the Norman Maclean Paradox. A quintessential Montanan, Maclean … Read more
N.B. Our apologies for the title, it was to easy a reference to pass up. We thought about using “Wherefore art thou SouthWest Montana” but, frankly, have never been entirely sure of the meaning of “wherefore.” Imagine this scenario: you’re sitting in a bar with a few friends and friends-of-friends. You say you blog … Read more
