Beauty, Guns, Speed, and Marijuana

I’ve been romanticizing about the West for a long time…since 1996 as a matter of fact…or I should say since childhood when I was watching those Marlboro commercials with my granny.

My real fascination with Montana began on a trip to Yellowstone National Park in August of 1998. David, M, E, (M and E were babies at the time) and I had left the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone on our way to the Beartooth Highway.

If you are unfamiliar with the Beartooth Highway, it has been acclaimed by many; but most notably by the late CBS correspondent Charles Kuralt, who said “it is the most beautiful drive in America.”  After reading Mr. Kuralt’s account of the Beartooth in a Reader’s Digest article in the late 70‘s or early 80‘s, I don’t remember which, I was blessed to see it for myself. Don’t miss its spectacular top of the world experience. It is a must see. Add it to your bucklet list if you haven’t taken the drive already. 

I wish this were my picture but it is not. I don't have any from this vantage point so I got this from Wiki.
 

Upon entering Montana, we were greeted with this sign saying,

“You are coming into the heart of the West where you will cut a lot of mighty interesting old time trails. Just turn your fancy loose to range the coulees, gulches, prairie and mountains and if your imagination isn’t hobbed you can people them with phantoms of the past." 

YES! I was entering the real American West…a land of pioneers, cowboys, and outlaws.

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We kept driving and...

BEER AND AMMO

…was advertised next on a storefront in Cooke City. David fancies this one as one of his favorites. It’s like saying get drunk and shoot deer, we have all you need right here.

You have to realize there ain’t much to do in some of these rural towns but drink beer and go huntin’ and fishin‘.  It’s a laid-back kind of lifestyle.


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Then there was the speed limit sign.

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Reasonable and Prudent.

"In the years before 1974's national 55 mph limit, and for three years after the 1995 repeal of the increased 65 mph limit, Montana had a non-numeric "reasonable and prudent" speed limit during the daytime on most rural roads. Montana Code Annotated (MCA) Section 61-8-303 said "A person . . . shall drive the vehicle . . . at a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation . . . so as not to unduly or unreasonably endanger the life, limb, property, or other rights of a person entitled to the use of the street or highway."

Thank goodness I got to see that one, (I had been wanting to) because in May of the following year, Montana established a speed limit of 75 miles per hour. If you care to, you can read more about it here.

Now you may think it reckless to let drivers determine their own speed limit, but you have to appreciate that Montana is so far and wide that sometimes you have to step on the gas to get where you’re going in a reasonable time.

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Fast forward to the present and the next sign on the list.

Protect Yourself with Dish Network Get Free Gun

This one has created quite a stir of late but not so much so with the people of Montana and the Bitterroot Valley. According to Steve Strand, the brainchild for this advertising campaign and the owner of the Radio Shack where this rootin’ tootin’ deal is being offered, his sales have tripled since he started the promotion. Nevertheless, Tweeple started Tweeting about it and the liberal media got a hold of it. City folks like to make a big deal out of gun ownership. They think guns have something to do with crime. I think crime has something to do with the lack of moral fiber in our society.

CNN even sent a guy out to Hamilton to do a piece on it. I bet the reporter was giddy with the thought of taking a trip to Montana. It’s the allure of the wild west, you know. Besides, the reporter looked pretty satisfied after a little target practice with his interviewee. I saw him in a video.

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Finally, I come to a sign that’s in Kalispell. Well actually it’s on Idaho in Evergreen. I went out to take a picture of it yesterday.

Hot tubs and Cannabis

What I picture in my mind are old hippies trying to make a decent living in Montana. I imagine they are easy going types with gray ponytails and tattered blue jeans. Perhaps they are well aware of the effects of marijuana and figured the pairing of hot tubs and cannabis would look mighty relaxing to some folks…hence more sales. I wonder if they sell chips and other munchies.

Some people would have the medical marijuana law repealed. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these same people were popping Paxil everyday…what hypocrites.

Montana...a land of natural beauty and independent thinkers. I hope it stays that way.

See ya out west somewhere,
Marlene

It's Time to Make Your Own Victory Garden!

Have you started your vegetable garden yet? I haven’t. Every year I swear I’m going to start the seedlings indoors during the month of January, thereby ensuring a good crop and variety of vegetables.  Here it is almost the end of March and all I have are a packet of radishes and bell peppers…still in the pack.

I hope these work. I got them from the Dollar Store.

If you’ve ever done any gardening by seed, I’m sure you’ve looked at the back of the package for planting instructions. All seed packs come with a little colored map of the United States with outdoor planting dates for different zones. Montana is in the yellow - Zone 4, which means you may start planting May - June.

What zone are you in?

That's all fine and dandy, except for the fact that it may be too late. But any sooner than that and it may be too early. So, what's a girl to do? Ask the experienced folks at Hooper’s. Don’t plant while there is still snow on the mountains, they say. Good rule of thumb but it's not a sure thing. After hoeing and sowing and fertilizing your little heart out, you may still end up with only a handful of tomatoes and bell peppers the size of a half dollar.



One day we will get that greenhouse that David has been wanting. His green thumb has been calling him for years. When he seriously gets back into gardening, I'm sure his green house will bring success to our garden efforts.




I am pleased as punch to see the strawberries that have over-wintered…the patch keeps spreading and spreading every year. The parsley and basil are a sight for sore eyes too. And the mint that I dug up and re-potted last fall has been adding flavor to freshly brewed tea. 



Now, I want to share something with you about Victory Gardens. During World War l and World War ll, individuals were encouraged to plant a home garden as part of the war effort.  Hence the term Victory Garden. It was thought that this would lessen the demand on the food supply, plus be a morale booster as a garden was considered a contribution to the war effort. Also, it was encouraged as being a rewarding experience to grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables. 

One of our good apple harvest years. 

I do agree that fruit and vegetable gardening is quite satisfying. If you've never tried vegetable gardening, now is a good time to start. First, check with your local extension service to find out what grows best in your area.




Here are some good reasons why you should start your own Victory Garden: 

• Home grown simply tastes better. Fruits and vegetables grown in your backyard are more robust and flavorful than the grocery store kind.
  
  
  
• Economy - prices are rising all the time. Grow a crop of tomatoes, beans, or carrots. Then home - can to preserve them. It may require a bit of effort but you'll save money in the long run. I haven't bought apple sauce in about 18 months, thanks to my apple trees and the preserves I put up.
  
  
  
• Become self-sufficient and feel a sense of independence from the mega food suppliers. Who isn't getting sick and tired of produce from Mexico.
  
  
  
• Grow it the way you want - with pesticides or without. You are the one in charge. Know what you are putting on your family's table.
  
  

• Digging in the garden is good therapy for the mind and body. On occasion, overturning some earth has calmed my nerves and lifted my spirits.
  
  

• Get the kids involved. It builds character. Have them pick out favorite vegetables and help with the planting. They will learn how to start a project, watch it grow and feel the sense of accomplishment upon harvest.
    

A link to Amazon

I hope this has inspired you to start your Victory Garden today!


Happy Planting! ~Marlene

Mallory Makes Lens of the Day on Squidoo!

It all started with an email reply to “A Walk With Us”.  After receiving some pictures of my grandkids, I replied to my daughter Janice, with this question, “How did you do on your volleyball physical?“ She wrote back and explained that it was a complimentary physical for a health club and not for volleyball. She also described how it went. She confirmed my assumptions of her outstanding physical condition. After giving birth to nine kids, she is still slim, trim, and strong. I mean really strong. Trust me, you don’t want to mess with her.

After that, Free File Fillable Forms emailed to say that my tax return had been accepted. WOOHOO! It only took 4 tries. Yep, 4 tries. I made the mistake of confusing the computer by incorrectly tabulating  first and last names into the same space. I won’t go into any further detail but I will say that without all of this rigmarole, I would have had my refund by now.

The rest of yesterday and last evening was fairly uneventful until approximately 10:30 p.m. Mallory came into my room and declared that she had gotten Lens of the Day. What an honor! She began receiving LOTS of comments and seeing increased traffic to her lens titled 10 Ways to Keep a Great Diary.  


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For those of you unfamiliar with Squidoo, it is a free community website that allows users to create pages, called lenses in areas of their interest. You can earn money from home for yourself or donate it to charity.  

Here are some fun facts about Squidoo taken from their Getting Started With Squidoo lens.

1. Squidoo has nearly 1,800,000 hand built lenses.

2. Squidoo has been reviewed by the New York Times, Mashable, BoingBoing and sites and papers around the world. But the reviews we're most proud of: those from our lensmasters, who talk about Squidoo and their lenses on their blogs.

2.5 We call our pages "lenses" because each is one person's focus on something that she's interested in, something that matters to her.

3. Squidoo was founded in 2005 and was live to the world in 2006. The founding team consisted of just four people. In 2010 we're only at 6 full time people.

4. As of October 2010 we are one of the 100 most popular websites in the US.

5. Squidoo grew 91% in 2008. 2010 update coming soon.

6. We launched the site with the tagline "Everyone's an expert (on something)." We have since learned that while this is indeed true, most people are too humble to consider themselves serious experts. Rather, most people think of themselves as hobbyists, passionates, interested (and interesting) folks. And that's what we've got here. Taglines are overrated.

7. We generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual royalties to charities and to our users.

8. There's a Squidoo cookbook! In early 2009 Seth and Megan wrote The Joy of Squidoo: A Recipe Book for Great Lenses.

9. If you want to know more about Seth Godin, Original Squid and founder and bestselling author and blogger, look here.

10. Many lensmasters earn more than $1,000 a year from Squidoo. Some make $10,000. Others are happy with $40 or $4. Lots give it to charity.

11. Most of our best users aren't here for the money. It's just a fortunate byproduct of their passion and great content.

12. As of October 2010: More than one million people visit Squidoo (that means your lenses) every day. The more traffic one lens brings in, the greater the chances that visitor will see your lens as well. That means it's good for you when your competition on Squidoo succeeds.

13. 100,000 people are subscribed by email to the Lens of the Day award and email, full of tips for making better lenses. Are you?

14. SquidU is our lensmaster-run community for teaching and talking about great lenses. It's a great place to go if you need help.

15. Squidoo is free to use.

16. Many of our lensmasters earmark their earnings for charity, and the Squidteam also makes donations to worthy causes throughout the year. So far, Squidoo has generated more than $500,000.00 to charities around the world, including Acumen Fund, charity: water, Room to Read, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and literally hundreds of others. We hope you'll join us in creating positive change in the world.

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I don't like Mondays. But yesterday wasn't so bad. Nice work ladies. And the check is on its way.

Oh, and if you want to be an angel, or get blessed by an angel, or hang out with some giant squids, you may want to try Squidoo.

• Squidoo How To Guide: A Complete Squidoo Guide for Affiliate Marketing! AAA+++
• Squidoo Basics: How to Market and Promote Your Sites Using Squidoo.com
• Do You Squidoo? The Power of Web 2.0 for Generating Floods of New Traffic

Mallory has lots of other lenses too. Check them out here.


Thanks for stopping by.

Till next time,

Marlene

A Montana Rainbow

They enchant us and symbolize hope. They spark memories of childhood fantasies.

This glowing rainbow delighted me on our way home to Kalispell from Lake Como in June of 2005.

We had taken a trip down to the Bitterroot Valley to see the campground where we had stayed a few months earlier as newbies to Montana.


Before moving to Kalispell, I thought we would live in the Bitterroot. It’s the region I had researched and it looked inviting. We planned on selling microdrilling attachments online. A company named Millmate of Corvallis had a nice ring to it. The Bitterroot Valley lies south of Missoula in what is known as the banana belt. It seemed a good place for Southerners to set down roots. The area’s natural beauty captivated Lewis and Clark; I wanted mountain scenery and to live in rural Montana.

Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Range of Montana

I felt satisfied after our visit to the Bitterroot Valley. It was on our drive north to Kalispell that I saw the rainbow. It lit up the sky in vibrant western fashion. What did it mean? Was it a sign of good luck? I tried to capture its essence in a photograph.


I have read that we each see rainbows in a different way. Considering we each view the world through the lens of our experience, this comes as no surprise.

Perhaps there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, if only we open our eyes and see it.


My son-in-law turned me on to this video meme about one man's overly emotional double rainbow experience. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day 

Marlene

How Different It Was From Mine

Went hiking and did some geocaching over the weekend.

Instead of using our snowshoes this time, we walked the snowy trail without them. We stayed on the main trail which was fairly well packed by previous hikers, (such as ourselves), and cross country skiers.  Snowshoes would have come in handy in a few spots, but we did just fine without them. People were out walking their dogs and enjoying the sunshine. As we were going up the trail, a gal with three Corgis was coming down. One of the dogs growled at me. It probably sensed that I don't like Corgis...their legs are too short.

As in Aesop’s Fable, The North Wind and the Sun, the persistent heat of the sun warmed us and had us removing our jackets soon enough. We've acclimated to the colder climate of the Rockies. Hiking uphill heats us up and we break a sweat even when it's cold. It was so hot, E said she felt sorry for me because I wore my long johns under my jeans. I responded that I should have worn my long johns under shorts. I saw a seasoned hiker doing this once and have wanted to do it ever since. Perhaps I will if I can get past the inevitable comment "Your underwear is sticking out".

All of the talk about being hot reminded me of my granddaughter in Alaska who was excited to know that spring was coming. She knew she would feel warm even though it was still freezing outside...32 degrees feels mighty warm after a long cold winter. If you live in a cold climate, you know what I mean.

The warmth was soothing and Mallory couldn’t resist sunning herself on the picnic table at the top of the trail. I thought about telling her she would get a sunburn, but I didn't. It was a peaceful time and we were quiet. Before leaving, it was a pleasure to discover a wild strawberry patch peeking through the snow under that same table.

The picnic table

Our geocaching adventures took us downtown. We walked from home to 1st Avenue and began looking for the cache “Going Postal”, which is near the library. It was elusive and we couldn't find it. I did find some tulip shoots coming up out of the dirt in a sidewalk flower bed. They were nice to see. I am looking forward to their brilliant colors.

We then walked to the intersection of Main St. and Idaho. Idaho is U.S. 2, the 2,579 mile east-west highway that crosses the northern part of the continental United States. Needless to say, a steady stream of cars and trucks passed as we searched the bushes next to the thrift store looking for the cache. Muggles were everywhere. David expected that someone he knew would see us. They probably did.

Official geocache in film canister.

A motorcycle rumbled by and I mentioned that it was a sure sign of spring. Just as robins return en masse, so do the motorcycles and tourists.

Kalispell was bustling. People were going to and fro…shopping…cleaning up their yards…riding bikes. There was an energy in the air. The revitalization of spring.

As I watched all of this springtime magic unfold, I couldn’t help but think of the dreadful weekend the Japanese were having…how unimaginably different it was from mine.

Marlene

The Joy of Snowshoeing

Here I am in my snowshoes and gaiters at Foys Lake Overlook.

Marlene

 For the first time, and I’ve been snowshoeing for five winters now, I snowshoed straight up the side of a mountain. The view of the valley was awesome and a passing snow shower enhanced the outing. It was my birthday and it felt good.

A view of the Flathead Valley and the Swan Range of the Rocky Mountains.

…good to be physically fit, good to commune with nature, and good to experience a fading winter before springtime melts it all away.

It’s that time of year when one season dissolves into another and I am sad at its passing while yearning for the next. Spring is 10 days away and I am ready.

David and E

If you haven’t tried snowshoeing, capture the last bit of winter’s magic and discover the joys of snowshoeing.


The benefits to snowshoeing include:

• Physical Fitness - Snowshoeing is hiking. Snowshoes are comparable to giant clown shoes. Picking up your feet and breaking trail in deep snow is a total body workout.  

• Mental Health - Combine physical fitness with the outdoors to clear the cobwebs and maintain a positive mental attitude and sense of well being. 

• Family Time -  Snowshoeing is a winter sport the whole family can enjoy. It’s a fun winter activity for exploring the great outdoors.

• Silence - As the saying goes, silence is golden. Take some time to appreciate the stillness of a snow blanketed forest or hilltop. In doing so you may discover the beauty of inner peace.

Happy Trails,
Marlene

3/11/11

I'm following up this article with a link to a subscriber's post titled "...in my own backyard", in which he most eloquently compares his first snowshoeing experience to passing through the wardrobe into Narnia. In the same article, William shares his idea of solitude.  Thank you, William.

Top Ten List of Mardi Gras Memories

Number 10 - Dressing up like a geisha and watching the dinky Arabi parade. This was in the days before Da Parish had proper floats. Those were the days, dawlin'.

Number 9  - Catching beads by the Schwegmann’s bag full on St. Charles Ave. After the  floats passed, the Mardi Gras trucks came and they were very generous with their throws. It was the Greatest Free Show on Earth.

Number 8 -  Having my hair singed by a Flambeau carrier's torch. The torches are kind of like giant sparklers. Some sparks landed on top of my head and burned my hair.

Number 7 - Marching in a parade and having someone grab off the end of my flute. I grabbed it back and my band director said I didn't have to play for the rest of the parade route.

Number 6 -  Getting my first candy apple on Canal Street. This was a big deal for me because I was not allowed to get one until I was old enough to eat the whole thing. Bon Apetit!

Number 5 - Going to Bourbon St. with my parents and brother. It was terribly crowded.  My brother and I were told to keep our eyes forward and to keep moving. All we could do was to shuffle our feet through a sea of beer cans. Drunks were everywhere and it stunk like puke and alcohol. It was Mardi Gras Madness!

Number 4 - As a teenager, David spotting me on the parade route near Gallier Hall.  He grabbed my arm as I walked past. My friend's mother took up her umbrella in defense thinking it was a kooky reveler. Luckily she recognized him before she whacked him on the head.

Number 3 - Watching the drunken clown walk in circles on Veterans Hwy. He had urine all down the front of his costume.

Number 2 - The coldest Mardi Gras ever.

And my Number 1 memory of Mardi Gras is: When I was 12, barfing hot dogs after a day at the parades.


Mardi Gras doesn't always fall on David's birthday, but today it did. We baked a family favorite...Poppy Seed Cake.

Find Solo Poppy Seed Filling in the baking section of your supermarket.

You will need 3 bowls to prepare the recipe.


Ingredients

1 ½ cups corn oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can poppy seed filling
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat well.

In a large bowl, combine the can of evaporated milk and the poppy seed. Mix well.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Put the eggs and oil into the large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.  Line the bottom of a 9 inch tube pan with waxed paper. Grease the pan including the waxed paper. Pour mix into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Use a broom straw or toothpick to test for doneness.

Poppy Seed Cake

This is a dense, moist cake that is divine with a cup of New Orleans Cafe Au Lait.


Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Marlene

Ice Fishing!

It's a tough job drilling with a manual auger through 20 inches of ice. 

Twenty Inches of Ice!


Drilling through 20 inches of ice (I am still amazed by this number) on a recent ice fishing outing was no easy task.

After David drilled his hole and dropped his line, it was the girls turn to tackle theirs. It took two at a time and some serious elbow grease to get it done.

The reward?  The feeling of relief when breaking through the ice and knowing you didn't wuss out.

After drilling, scooping out the ice from the hole.

Need some tips for success?


Ever wanted to learn how to ice fish but didn't know where to start?  It's easy!

Get all the help you need with catbehaviors's helpful Squidoo lens on How to Ice Fish. You'll learn "What is Ice Fishing" and get other useful tips about:

• How to stay warm
• What ice fishing supplies you need

And while you're there, check out catbehaviors other great lenses.

Happy Ice Fishing,

Marlene

31 - Pc. Ice Fishing Rod Combo Kit

Nine Great Tips on How to Have a King Cake Party

Mid 30’s today with snow still covering the tree branches after last night’s snowfall.  Chilly, but no comparison to the bone chillin’ weather at last weekend’s shooting match. People hustled from the icy parking lot into the Grandstand Building to get warm. They looked cold, which is saying a lot considering most of the winter they don’t.

The end of season shooting competition gave participants the opportunity to show off their skills in archery, pistol, and rifle. M and E both shot in the sporting rifle class.  E placed 4th in her division, while M took home the 2nd place ribbon in her age group.

E and M

It was a family atmosphere which included lunch and dessert.  We baked a large King Cake to share with everyone. Our brown sugar and cinnamon sweet bread was well received. It generated curiosity as well as compliments.

This was yummy!

The King Cake reminded me of my grammar school days when a fellow classmate would start off the Carnival season by hosting the first King Cake party.  This would be a kid with easy going parents who were willing to have a bunch of  7th graders come over to play records and dance, eat King Cake, and drink lots of Cokes. The anticipation of these weekly parties caused me a lot of anxiety. So much so, that Pepto Bismol tablets became a regular part of my diet. This behavior caused great concern for my parents who decided to have some tests run to see if I had an ulcer.  After a humiliating upper and lower GI series, I was diagnosed to simply have a case of the nerves.  

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed these parties and hosted one of my own. My parents home was too small to accommodate all 30 or so classmates, so it was held at a neighborhood banquet room. My dad had connections. As I recall, everyone showed up for the party and it was a great success. The hall was really neat with what my dad recalls as plenty of space for  “kids to play loud music and dance”. Mom supervised the party and  some of the boys were caught swigging TIPS (a small bottle of mouthwash). It wasn’t until after the party was over that Dad discovered bottles blocking up the toilet tank. He didn’t care for that very much.

So what is a King Cake party and how do you have one? They’re not just for kids. Anyone, anywhere can have fun and celebrate this favorite Mardi Gras custom.

1. A King Cake party is a New Orleans tradition during the Feast of the Epiphany. People gather together to have fun and eat King Cake that tastes like coffee cake. Whoever gets the plastic baby hidden inside the cake, hosts the next party, the next week. Your party must be during Carnival season which begins with King Day on January 6th and ends at midnight Mardi Gras Day.


2. Invite guests to your King Cake party. If they are unfamiliar with King Cake parties, explain what it is and how it works. 


3. Buy or bake your own cake. If baking your own, get a plastic baby from a party goods store. Insert it in the bottom of the cake after the cake is baked. A maraschino cherry placed on top of the cake at each end of the cake is a good way to confuse your guests into thinking that is where the baby is hidden.


4. When the guests arrive, they will more than likely observe the cake to guess where they think the baby is. Discourage them from poking it with their fingers to find out.


5. After everyone has begun socializing, cut the cake into serving sizes being careful not to expose the baby.


6. Invite everyone to have a slice of cake. Remind them about the plastic baby. You don't want anyone breaking a tooth.



7. Watch to see who gets excited and calls out “I’ve got the baby”!



8. If the person complains about having to throw the next party, tell them the party is a relatively inexpensive one. If they cannot afford it or truly do not want to host the next party, ask for a volunteer who can.



9. Continue the parties as desired until the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, when the ritual of eating richer, fattier foods ends. 


I’ve tried several King Cake recipes and the most recent one is delicious and a keeper. You can find the recipe on our Facebook page. And if you don't want to bake from scratch, you can order this mix from New Orleans Gourmet Foods.

You may also like:

• King's Day - It's All About Tradition

Enjoy!


Marlene