This past summer, I had a real adventure. I really had the urge to get away so I took an extended vacation. I even contemplating moving but it just wasn’t the right time.
Here’s an excerpt from an article that I wrote for the Yellowstone County News with a few pictures.
......One of the first things that I must mention is that this has got to be some of the most beautiful country. Everything from the majestic rocks to the wide open farm land. You know, the saying in Texas is “Everything’s bigger in Texas”, well; I have to say that now that I am in Montana, I really cannot completely agree with that statement. Beside the fact that the sky most certainly seems to be bigger. No wonder they call it Big Sky country. Someone needs to mention the weeds. They are huge. Weeding my little flower beds in Texas was never anything like it is here. I went borrow a weed eater from my neighbor the other day. When she pulled it out of her garden shack, I said, Thanks but I don’t need a lawn mower, I wanted to borrow a weed eater”. She said “this is the weed eater”. I think it must have been an industrial size weed eater for industrial size weeds. But it certainly did the job. And I still have the blister to prove it. Put hard working heavy duty work gloves on the list for the next time I go to town.
I may have come here from a small town but I did live in town, so there are a few things that are pretty new to me. I am staying in the country where it is absolutely gorgeous. The rolling hills are spectacular when the sun is shining down on them. But that brings up another “Bigger than Texas” item. The lightning storms! I swear it has rained almost everyday since I got here. Thank God, that because the sky is such a big expanse you can see it coming from miles away. All I really have to say about that is WOW!
But one of the things that I really was not prepared for was when a Bull snake slithered by the front of the house. Now they tell me that Bull snakes are our friends because they get rid of the rattlesnakes. I, being a reasonably sane person can understand that, but I am just not feeling the friend part yet.
In Texas, we do have deer, but nothing like here. What do y’all feed them? Industrial size weeds? I cannot not mention all of the other creatures here that I am not accustomed to. Elk, buffalo, coyotes and bears. I heard that they caught a bear in Billings. If that doesn’t make me wonder about going outside after dark then nothing will.
These are only a few of the things just around the house that I am learning is different here in Montana. Once I actually go into town, after I eventually, finish weed eating, I have met some of the nicest people and have gone to some warm and wonderful places. Today, I ate lunch at the 4 sister’s café in Worden. The store front was so inviting, I just had to go in and try their food. But it was the people inside, just so very friendly. I had the Tuna melt, which was exceptional, but if you have a bit of a sweet tooth, like me then make sure that you don’t miss out on the Cowboy Cookie. Yumm!
When I first got here, my dog, Pixel, was in desperate need of a grooming and needed one of her shots updated. I called the Huntley Project Veternian. They were extremely helpful. And yes, I got her the rattlesnake shot too.
The Huntley Project Museum is extremely interesting. So much history in such a small community.
The nice folks at Stroker’s Tavern in Huntley have been kind enough to offer me a job, bartending a couple nights a week. I am the girl behind the bar with the long brown hair. If you don’t know the story behind the name, be sure to go in and find out about it. Make sure that you try the delicious pizza while you are in there. It has such a nice hometown feel. I have quite a few characters in there. But I do remember the oath of anninetity that I took when I became a bartender.
I do believe that I am going to need a 4 wheel drive truck pretty soon. The road between the towns if very car friendly but I have to admit that my car has never been on so many dirt roads in the whole time that I have owned it. On the dirt roads seems be where I have been finding the most interesting places. I have a feeling that I am turning into a farm girl. I even went out and fed the horses this morning.
Then there are the trains, I have to admit that where I lived at in Texas, not so many trains.
Then there is Becky’s store on the main street in Huntley. It is so very quaint and unique. When I went in there for the first time, whatever her name was, was so very busy but made sure that she took care of me, even when I kept asking her what each dress looked like on me.
One of the first things that people ask me when they first talk to me is where I am from. I think it could be my lack of a northern accent. But it could also be when I say y’all, fixin’ to or maybe it was the reckon that got them. Yeah, you bet cha!
I am trying to get my bearing and understand more about where I am so I decided a trip to Pompey’s Pillar was in order. I had no problem getting there. There were several other tourists there and of course I talked a few of them. People from all over. I had taken a friend with me to share in the experience. Being that I am not a natural outdoorsy type and she is, I pretty much stuck to the path and she trailed off onto the grass where the picnic tables were. She hollered at me to come and look at the rock chucks (not that I knew what that was). I was standing there learning what a rock chuck was and the different colors that they are when all of a sudden I hear her saying snake, seriously if you ever see me around a snake please yell, don’t just say it in a calm voice, after about the third time she said it. I took my concentration off of the rock chucks and realized that I was standing right next to a snake. Well, of course, I started screaming and running back to the concrete path. Now, I know that I should be thinking of Lewis and Clark from now on when someone mentions Pompey’s Pillar but I will probably be remembering the snake that slithered by my boot. Montana is certainly a learning experience and I don’t just mean in history.
I decided to explore my surroundings so I took a drive to the big city of Sheppard. Well, it turns out it is one of those places that if you blink you might miss it. It turns out that I did blink the first time I drove thru it but I ended up at a beautiful place where cattle run the range free. Being that it was lunch time, I turned around and went back into town to look for somewhere to eat. I found a place called The Feedlot. It had a wonderful atmosphere and great food.
I have found this area to be not only beautiful place but full of friendly hard-working people. It is refreshing to be in a place where you see kids riding bikes, tractors plowing the fields and neighbors helping each other.
Although, there are a few things that I miss about Texas. The diversity of the land desert to forest, beaches to wide open plains, many of my friends and just plain knowing exactly where I’m at most of the time (I’m sure that will come the longer that I am here) but most of all I miss my 2 year old granddaughter blowing kisses at me.
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